South Indian line up of leading ladies: Teenaged Sridevi next to her mother Rajeshwari

 

There's Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari on the far right. Do y'all know who the others are? 

There's Ambika, Jayasudha... and...?? Pls comment below and let us know who's who from L to R. 

Sridevi as a child artist: With her mother Rajeshwari

 

Sridevi always said, whenever she was on set, her mother was always by her side. There are several images online of young Sridevi as a child artist and her mother, manager, protector and bodyguard, Rajeshwari Ayappan (born Rajeshwari Reddy!) is within the frame.  She kept the wolves at bay... if you know, you know. 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari and sister Sreelatha

 

Well, technically its Sreedevi not Sridevi (have you seen her autograph?!) but film credits - including Lamhe, Sadma etc. spell it out as Sridevi so... 

This pull quote from Cine Blitz;

Sridevi, "Even as a child, I was never one amongst many because my parents were never desperate for me to be in films."

Collecting all the quotes regarding Sridevi's youth, her days as a child artist and her unwavering reach to the top. There is a false narrative floating online that suggests that Sridevi was forced into working in films, this is blatantly not true. Sridevi has repeatedly stated it was she who wanted to act. 

Sridevi and Sreelatha with their mother Ayappan Rajeshwari: Happy Mother's Day

Sridevi with her only sister Sreelatha and their mother Ayappan Rajeshwari (né Reddy). In honour of Mother's Day--every day is mother's day!-- you can see our huge archive of images of Sridevi with her beloved mother here.  
 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari

Sridevi in the early 1990s with her mother Rajeshwari. 
 

Mother's Day 2026!

Sridevi with her sister Sreelatha and mother Rajeshwari

 Sridevi with her sister Sreelatha and mother Rajeshwari 

Sridevi (and family) with MGR, Jayalalithaa: Of Power and Politics

Sridevi, Rajeshwari [Sridevi's mother] with Jayalalithaa 

Sridevi, MGR, Ayappan and Rajeshwari [Sridevi's parents]

 

Let's do a quick name check and fact check here; 

Sridevi was born Ayappan Sreedevi - not anything else. 

Sridevi's mother was born Rajeshwari Reddy, post-marriage, she was Ayappan Rajeshwari. 

Sridevi's father was Ayappan Naidu. 

The dive into the name and heritage in the archive here.

Sridevi with MGR and her parents Ayappan and Rajeshwari: Birth Anniversary of MGR!

Sridevi with MGR and her parents Ayappan and Rajeshwari 

Today, 17 January, is the birth anniversary of MGR. For new gen, westerners, you have nooooo idea how huge an icon MGR was back in the day...

Let's remind people again that Sridevi was born Ayappan Sreedevi, that's her only given name. In films, it morphed into her famed mononym; Sridevi. I've done the deep dive several times, but a reminder in the archive here.

 

Sridevi: Sridevi with her children Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor

Sridevi: Sridevi with her children Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor 

Maheshwari posts on Instagram rare pics with Sridevi

Rare pics of Sridevi from the family album. 

Below: Sridevi's family and extended family in Madras. 

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Rare pic of Sridevi's 27th birthday: Boney Kapoor, Rajeshwari (Sridevi's mother) and Sridevi

 

A picture posted by Boney Kapoor has sparked a furious debate on his comments section. We are... refraining from further comment.

But lovely to see a happy Sridevi with her family and friends celebrating her birthday. 

 

Sreelatha, Sreedevi, Rajeshwari: The Ayappan Ladies

Sridevi's only sister, youngest Sreelatha, posted this rare photo of the family. Superstar Sridevi in the centre, flanked by her beloved mother Rajeshwari (the original mom-ager!) and younger Sreelatha aka Latha, during happier days. 

The nation lost an iconic actress, this family lost their centre. 
 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari, sister Sreelatha

 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari, sister Sreelatha

All in the Family: Sridevi with her near and dear in Madras: TBT 1989

Photographed by the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Cine Blitz magazine, Sridevi with her entire family in their Madras mansion.

Sreelatha, Sreedevi, their father Ayappan Naidu, Ayappan Rajeshwari, Maheshwari... 
 

 

The Mother of all Roles: Bollywood and her obsession with the Matriarch; From Nargis to Sridevi, Raveena Tandon to Kajol, Rekha to Raakhee, Ayesha to Aasha Bhosle!

The Mother of all Roles: Bollywood and her obsession with the Matriarch. It may have started with Mother India (1957) and Nargis' career defining turn, but it certainly hasn't ended as Kajol's latest release over the weekend, Maa (2025) hit the big screens. 

In fact, let me correct that statement, in the 1950s and 1960s, there were innumerable soap operatic films with the crying-in-the-corner, sewing machine rolling, gajar-ka-halwa serving, white-sari-clad mothers relishing their roles of self-pity at circumstances, pining away at... something or another. The leading ladies that made their respective films a title role, in hopes of showboating their thespian skills however came courtesy of these fab women, namely, Nirupa Roy, Rekha, Hema Malini, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, Kajol, Ayesha Jhulka to... hold your horses... even singer Aasha Bhosle, who did a surprisingly good turn in the complete sob-fest Mai (2013)! 

Variations on the appellation, Ma, some great films, some predictable tear-jerkers, some saccharine ones, some sentimental mulchy melodrama... they run the gamut. The sacrificing one, the avenging one and mostly the weeping one, Bollywood pigeon holes actresses after they pass a certain age and tax bracket! The Bollywood playbook hasn't changed, from babe and leading lady to Bhabhi, then Mother roles, its an inevitable transition for women offered shorter shelf-lives as desirable leading ladies on the big screen. Rekha, bless her bangles, perhaps stretched it the longest and certainly actresses today are trying to turn the tides in their favour, but as troll comments on social media show, the audience is constantly looking for newer, younger, hotter faces. Talent be damned. 

Note there are now three films titled Maa; one with Nirupa Roy (possibly the most famous 'mums' on the big screen in Bollywood) in 1976, one with Jaya Prada in 1991, and now Kajol. Amma with Rakhee Gulzar hit the screens in 1986, and another with Ayesha Jhulka hit the screens in 2003! In America, it's really hard to get a film certificate with the name of a movie if it has been published before - the case for The Butler comes to mind. We kind of need to do the same in India. Film titles should not and need not be repeated. The paucity of good writers and foresight in Bollywood continues. 

Any other 'Ma' roles missing here? Let us know - comment below! 

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Mother's Day Special: Sridevi with her mother and sister

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi with her mother and sister 

L: Sreelatha (Sridevi's younger sister), Rajeshwari (their mother) and Sridevi. 

 

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi talks about her mother Rajeshwari

 

Mother's Day Special: Sridevi talks about her mother Rajeshwari

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari: Mother's Day Special

 Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari: Mother's Day Special. 

 Rare digitally colourised image of a vintage pic. Sridevi must be 14-15 or so here. 

Sridevi with her mother Rajeshwari : Happy Mother's Day!

First born to Ayappan Rajeshwari (nee Reddy) Sridevi was close to her mother and rarely left her side. Today, in honour of Mother's Day (every day is mother's day!), we look back at the OG momager, the strict, sari-clad, sensational Rajeshwari. 

Rajeshwari Reddy was from Andhra Pradesh, and her native land is Tirupathi. When she married Tamil lawyer Ayappan Naidu, she became Ayappan Rajeshwari (as is the norm in the south of having surname leading before name). She had two daughters; eldest Sreedevi, then Sreelatha. When you find original autographs of Sridevi, she always signed off simply as A, Sreedevi. aka Ayappan Sreedevi. 

Every other iteration of Sridevi's alleged name is wrong - and widely circulated without verification of simple fact-checking! 

In fact, we are aware our site is essentially mislabeled, it should be "Sreedevi" not "Sridevi!" But every credit in films, it has been spelt "Sridevi" as we are honouring the professional work of the iconic Indian actress, we are taking her professional nomenclature. 

Before Sridevi became an enduring icon of Indian cinema, the foundation of her extraordinary journey was laid by her mother, Rajeswari. Long before she became the legendary stage mother who famously managed every aspect of her daughter’s soaring career, rumours have it that Rajeswari harboured artistic ambitions of her own in the bustling film studios of Madras [which became Chennai later!].

Hailing from Tirupati, Rajeswari arrived in Madras during the golden era of South Indian cinema. Drawn to the vibrant arts scene, she initially ventured into local drama troupes and stage plays. Her ambition eventually brought her to the movie sets, where she made fleeting, uncredited appearances in black-and-white Tamil and Telugu productions during the 1950s and 1960s. Working primarily as a background extra and group dancer, her brief moments on celluloid went without screen credits or formal documentation, leaving her filmography lost to early trade history.

Sridevi's mother (L) and grandmother (R). 
The caption is referring to Janhvi Kapoor
ie that's Janhvi's grandmother and great-grandmother! 

Realising that a successful acting career was not in her destiny, Rajeswari shifted focus after marrying lawyer Ayyappan. When her young daughter displayed an innate talent for performance, Rajeswari channeled her unfulfilled artistic passions directly into nurturing Sridevi's path. Entering the industry as a child artist at just four years old, Sridevi had in her mother a fierce protector and sharp manager. Rajeswari took complete command - navigating contracts, handling finances, and curating film roles across Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema. 

Below clip trending on social media (Instagram mostly) of the generation of ladies who were seen on the big screen. Please do note - this has not been verified by anyone in the family and as its on Insta', we take newsbyte on this with a pinch of salt. Until the family confirms whether she was or wasn't an actress, we can only assume - going by what's been circulated online with this short clip to back it up. 

When it came to protecting Sridevi’s career, the "momager" was an uncompromising force. Legendary for her ironclad negotiation tactics, her stance on remuneration was absolute: if a producer wanted Indian cinema’s premier star in their film, they paid full price - ask Yash Chopra or Boney Kapoor! 

Her oversight extended far beyond financial contracts. She maintained absolute creative control over Sridevi’s styling and visual presentation - famously refusing to let producers cut her young daughter’s hair to suit a role. Driven by a vision for Sridevi’s long-term artistic legacy, Rajeswari actively sought out meaty, central characters, ensuring her daughter was never relegated to mere eye candy beside the leading men. 

Surprisingly progressive for her era, Rajeswari paid little mind to conservative social mores, comfortably greenlighting bold, high-fashion outfits in the 1970s that frequently scandalised traditionalists. To further protect her daughter’s reputation and career in a turbulent industry, she even educated herself in legal matters. Whenever media outlets or industry insiders crossed a line into defamation, Rajeswari was quick to file lawsuits, establishing a formidable shield that allowed Sridevi to reign supreme on screen.

While Rajeswari's own time in front of the camera was brief and forgotten by film registers, her brief experience in the studios gave her the industry acumen needed to build one of Indian cinema's greatest superstars. Her brief stint on set ultimately laid the groundwork for a unmatched legacy behind the scenes.  

Title card from Banjaran

Title card from Moondram Pirai

Sridevi with her parents: her lawyer father Ayappa Naidu, and mother Rajeshwari

Ayappa Naidu and Ayappan Sreedevi

Sreedevi with her mother Rajeshwari 

Its Sreedevi not Sridevi. As all her autographs show! 

But in film credits, it's always Sridevi..... so Sridevi it is for Bollywood's global audience. 

Sridevi with her parents, father Ayappa Naidu (father) and mother Rajeshwari (né Reddy).