Sridevi and Nagarjuna: On film: On set with a fan

 Sridevi and Nagarjuna: On film: On set with a fan

Rare pic: The Sridevi centrefold from the 90s: Rakesh Shreshta captures the Queen of Bollywood

 

This rare pic - have not seen many outtakes of this tie-dyed look - was published in Stardust annual in the early 1990s. Photographed by Sridevi's favourite Rakesh Shreshta... or was she, his favourite? Either way. This is a slightly altered image of Sridevi as fans will note - the original image is in the archive here - we asked Grok to remove the folded page wrinkle and centre the image. 

TBT: Sridevi's Centrefold from 1988!

Let's allll be glad 80s fashion, hair and makeup ended when it did! 

This Sridevi centrefold from Cine Blitz, May 1988! 

Sridevi in Lamhe

 Sridevi in Lamhe 

Sridevi on the sets of Lamhe. The time when Farhan Akhtar made the leading lady trip and fall...

Sridevi with Govinda

 

Sridevi and Govinda on the sets of the only Hindi film they did together, Gair Kanooni, which released in early 1989,

We heard Govinda has been unwell and is in hospital. We wish the actor a speedy recovery. 

UPDATE: What a strange week its been for Bollywood. Not one but three iconic Indian actors were hospitalised, Dharmendra, 89, Prem Chopra, 90, and Govinda, 61. Happy to hear Dharmji and Govinda are home. We wish a speedy recovery to Chopra too. 

Sridevi's glittering costume for a Cine Blitz cover shoot!

Sridevi loved this costume from Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari which released in May 1990. Sridevi posed for the cover of Cine Blitz, March 1990 issue, with the famous look, but changed her hair for this slick perm. The MUA of that time, high glam and gloss.

Sridevi in 1987: The Golden Gal of Bollywood

On the cover of the now-defunct Star & Style, Sridevi heads the annual edition of 1987. A look from her film Guru, the all-gold ensemble, the 80s perm, the heavy gloss... signature 80s. 

Sridevi in Gair Kanooni

 Sridevi in Gair Kanooni

Sridevi with Nagarjuna's Khuda Gawah pre-publicity Shoot

Sridevi with Nagarjuna's Khuda Gawah pre-publicity shoot! Gun and goddess! 

The early 90s perm on Sri! She looks great. 

Nagarjuna was 3-4 years older than Sridevi, but the media used to hint she was older - when she wasn't but had worked for far longer than her co-star. Which was true often.

Nagarjuna turns 66 today. We wish the fine actor well - and thank him for honouring Sridevi posthumously and keeping her memory alive by mentioning her name in interviews. 

They say, "Every person has two deaths, when one is buried in the ground and the last time someone says one's name."

Sridevi's film legacy in many ways makes her immortal.      

 

Happy Birthday Sridevi: August 13

 Sridevi, 30, on the sets of Chandra Mukhi (1993). August 13, her birth anniversary... 

Sridevi on set: Photographer Rakesh Shreshta captures an Indian icon

Sridevi on set: photographer Rakesh Shreshta captures an Indian icon!

Ah the burnt 90s perm... Gorgeous Sridevi.  

Defiant Sridevi in Army: The 1996 Bollywood hit that Media refused to call a Blockbuster!

Released on 28 June 1996, Sridevi had a smash hit with Army, but the media didn't declare it a hit for a long, long time. 

Her performance, as always, was good, but the film, Sholay redux with a gender swap, isn't without its flaws. The music was rather tepid, and the plot predictable, but a hit, is a hit, is a hit.

Army was one of the earlier corporate films made in the Hindi film industry, ie a carefully calculated  enterprise where the movie was shot within budget, meticulously organised (huge cast) and completed quickly--unheard of those days.  The movie was made with a modest budget of ₹ 4 crore, and made over ₹ 17.3 crore at the box-office. A success in every measure, making x 4 of production cost, Shahrukh Khan got the credit for bringing in the masses, but it was Sridevi's performance that held the movie together. 

Context is key here; Shahrukh's DDLJ had released 8 months before and was the blockbuster of the decade. While the audience was craving for something with Khan, he had an extended cameo in the Sridevi-led film Army, as he wanted to work "with the living legend" Sridevi. She had rejected Darr earlier with him. For reasons best known to Sridevi, she comically said in an interview that she would have done Darr if she was offered Shahrukh's role (ie lead antagonist--a novel idea for a leading lady who had done all conceivable roles by then!). However, we take that quote with a pinch of salt. Tone/expression - did she mean it or was it said in jest? 

Do note, Sridevi had just turned 33 when the film released (she was 32 when she shot the movie - ie the same age as Alia Bhatt is now!). Here's the how-far-we've-come-but-have-we-really moment; the media was tagging her as the aging superstar who couldn't deliver the hits she did when she was 23! They were telling her "to go back to Madras!" Well, this was of course coming off the horrific earlier releases, mega flops Chandra Mukhi and Chaand Kaa Tukdaa, so critics were gung-ho about taking aim at the star, completely ignoring her towering act and success of Laadla in 1994. For the first time in her prolific career, Sridevi had NO releases in the year 1995. Sridevi was recovering from several personal tragedies--her father's loss, her mother's cancer, her mother's botched infamous surgery in New York--and while the Queen was away from studios and set, other stars made giant strides. 

Army was a mini-comeback of sorts, her previous release was August 1994, and Army released in June 1996. When the film was reluctantly declared a hit, Sridevi remained zen and said to the press a flop or a hit was beyond her, and it was a producer's headache! As long as she worked hard, and on time, the fate of a movie didn't swing her sails. Having spent her entire life in the film industry, this is easy to believe; Sridevi knew that there's an ebb and flow to a career, and she just had to ride the waves. Army was a hit but then Mr. Bechara flopped, Judaai was a hit, then Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha flopped. The only certainty in Bollywood has always been the adage; nothing is certain. 

Sridevi in studio: Sridevi on the big screen: Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja shirt

Sridevi's early 90s perm, print shirt and accessories. From the sets of (and in the film) Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja. 

More of this look and outtakes in the archive here. 

Sridevi's white dress for Chandra Mukhi

Sridevi's white dress for Chandra Mukhi 
 

tinsel town: Sridevi: Enigma Next Door

tinsel town: Sridevi: Enigma Next Door 

Sridevi appeared on the cover of tinsel town several times, often photographed by Rakesh Shreshta.  

Rare pic: Sridevi and Govinda together on the sets of the film Gair Kanooni

Rare pic: Sridevi and Govinda together on the sets of the film Gair Kanooni 
 

Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha with MUA Mickey Contractor

Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha with MUA Mickey Contractor... 

TBT to Feb 1993 - more images in the archive of this cover shoot here.

The stuff of legends; Gautam da and  Mickey made pure magic together. Glamour, elegance, minmalist, natural... just gorgeous. Their cover shoots were worth waiting for... ah. A time gone by. 90s Mumbai media was magical; MOVIE magazine, G magazine, Cine Blitz, Stardust, Filmfare, tinsel town, Aura... to a lesser extent Showtime, Star & Style. Pre-Instagram and internet leaks.

Sridevi and her fainting spells

Gorgeous Sridevi on the cover of MOVIE magazine with that 90s red dress... 

August 1992. So Sridevi had just turned 29. 

The passage about Sridevi fainting in the bathroom with her low blood pressure and falling face first... is a breadcrumb to follow all the way to the tragic incident in Dubai back in Feb 2018. All the signs were there, there was a lot of negligence in the safety and well-being of a national treasure. 

Sridevi's Khuda Gawah promo shoot

Ah, the 90s, fringe dyed short perm. 

Gorgeous cognac eyed Sridevi. Yes, we know they are her lenses, but Sri looks great here. 

More from this shoot (with Nagarjuna, who famously said about Sridevi, "She's the most...") in the archive here. 
 

Sridevi in studio: Sridevi on set

 Sridevi in studio: Sridevi on set! She sure liked that floral hair clip!