Chaalbaaz (1989): Sridevi whips everyone into shape

Sridevi in Chaalbaaz. Powerful on screen - and off! 

Sridevi has mostly essayed roles of empowered women, from the whip carrying diva in Himmatwala, to the gun-totting Sherni, to Manju, the take-no-nonsense spitfire in Chaalbaaz.

She was a firecracker off screen too; refusing roles where the hero had all the glory, fighting with film producers in court, taking no nonsense from the press, rude questions were shut down quickly, if a choreographer gave a step she wasn't comfortable with, she put paparaazi in their place! She certainly was unmovable when it came to remuneration and when it came to clocking out on time when her shift was done! 

No one puts Sri baby on the side. 

Sridevi and her short wig: Look test for a film in the 1980s

The short wig, large accessoring, her dazzling eyes... 

Gorgeous Sridevi re-styles for a look in a film. 

Guess the film - comment below. 

Sridevi's short crop wig for Guru

Sridevi's short crop wig for Guru 

Sridevi as a quasi-vamp/villain in the Hindi film Guru. 

Not a great film, but a hit. The 80s was a strange decade for films in Mumbai. 

Rare stills: Sridevi with Rahul Roy in Gumrah (1993): 31 Years of Gumrah

Rare stills: Sridevi with Rahul Roy in Gumrah (1993). We've archived nearly every image from the film here, but these are new even to us. Published in Hindi tabloids in the early 90s. The song, Yeh Zindagi ka Safar, was a lovely ghazal that was, I'm guessing picturised on Sridevi and Rahul Roy - but in the final edit of the lengthy film, the song got culled. Would love to see it now - wouldn't you?! 

Released 31 years ago today on 3 August 1993, the movie was a commercial success and Sridevi got praise accross the board for her stellar performance. Oh yes, another year when she didn't get an award despite deserving one. Juhi Chawla - also a personal favourite - won it for the gentle comedy Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke,... Umm. ok. Personally, thought Meenakshi deserved more recognition for Damini too... But then, Filmfare stopped being a meritocracy a long time ago, catering to TRPs and star value over raw talent. The fact that every celebrity worth their salt has already said this (Salman Khan taking shots at a Filmfare event itself was gold!) makes us repeating an accepted truth over anything revolutionary here obv. When will the award revolution hit Mumbai? 

 

Sridevi in a green gown, short wig: 90s 'fashion'

 Sridevi in a green gown, short wig: 90s 'fashion'! 

 Hmm.. not a fav look but Sridevi's face is still so pretty.

 I originally saw the series of pics in MOVIE magazine - a few in the archive here. 

East or West: Sridevi was the Best!

 East or West: Sridevi was the Best! 

Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah

 Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah 

Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah

 

Sridevi on the sets of Gumrah 

Sridevi as a doll in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja

Sridevi as a doll in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja 

From one of the (many) title songs in the film...

Sridevi's short cropped wig for the film Raasta (1986)

Sridevi's short cropped wig for the film Raasta (1986)

The film was launched - but never completed. In fact, we're not sure anything happened beyond a photoshoot for the movie and a look-test. 

We have dozens of pics in the archive - scroll back. 

TBT: Launch of Telugu blockbuster Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari: Sridevi and Chiranjeevi: Mahurat

Vyjaysnthi movie 

Production No: 9 

Date: 9/8/1989 

Muhurtham of Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari

  

Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari launch - the epic mahurat [launch] - no one could have predicted back in 1989, when the movie started production that it would become 'the' defining Telugu blockbuster. 

Woman in Black: Sridevi's shoot for Filmfare in 2012

Sridevi on the set of Filmfare magazine's awesome cover shoot. 

Looking wowsa.

A little black dress, cocktail number with a short crop wig. 

So cute!!

Sridevi in Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (1994): Sri's black lace look for Darwaza khula rakhna song

Released in the summer of 1994 (19 August 1994 to be exact!), this was an odd song in the film Chand Ka Tukda: Darwaza khula rakhna.

Sung by Aasha Bhosle, the dull choreography and the insipid lyrics did nothing to elevate the climactic song in the anticlimactic film. Despite the odd mishmash of the lace, sparkles, hair accessories... Sridevi still manages to look like a wide-eyed doll. 

All in vain. 

Nothing could save this film - not even its stellar star cast of Sridevi, Salman Khan, Shatrughan Singha, Anupam Kher and others. Poor direction, script, screenplay, dialogues, plot.... I mean, it was a hot mess. 

In a film with Salman Khan, the fact that Sridevi dominated the publicity shots of the film reveals how big a star she was in the 90s.