Sridevi

 

40 Year Anniversary of Subash Ghai's Karma : Sridevi in 1986's biggest blockbuster

"Showman" Subhash Ghai’s action-drama Karma, released on August 8, 1986, stood tall as the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. Unfolding as a sweeping, patriotic epic, the film pitted veteran Dilip Kumar against (relative newcomer!) Anupam Kher’s iconic villain Dr. Dang, supported by a star-studded ensemble featuring Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah, and Sridevi, Poonam Dhilloon. To combat the rampant video cassette piracy of the 1980s, Ghai mounted the production in grand 70mm with six-track stereophonic sound, driving audiences into packed theaters to experience its massive cinematic scale. Ghai was a fine director, but perhaps an even more astute busienss man - they don't call it show'bizz' for nothing. 

Central to the film’s immense draw was, in our opinion obviously, Sridevi, who by 1986 had achieved an unprecedented reign over Indian cinema. Commanding remuneration on par with her top male counterparts, she proved her supreme versatility across drama, comedy, and iconic dance numbers. Beyond Karma, 1986 was a career-defining year marked by four major Hindi blockbusters: the snake-fantasy Nagina, which established her solo box-office clout; the hit revenge-drama Aakhree Raasta alongside Amitabh Bachchan; and Feroz Khan’s Janbaaz, where her iconic extended appearance stole the entire show. 

Despite Karma’s remarkable commercial victory, it remained the sole collaboration between Sridevi and Subhash Ghai. Ghai was a director who preferred total control over his productions, increasingly favouring younger proteges—like Madhuri Dixit in Ram Lakhan and Manisha Koirala in Saudagar—whom he could easily mold to his directorial vision. Sridevi, meanwhile, was riding a wave of solo stardom with female-centric classics like Mr. India, ChaalBaaz, and Chandni, leading her to strictly prioritise author-backed scripts. 

When Ghai later approached her for a brief role in Yaadein (2001), she ultimately declined because the character lacked real substance. She was supposed to be paired with Jackie Shroff again, which would have been an interesting watch. BTW Yaadein currently is trending on social media, the film is being rehashed and discussed by new generation on Instagram and let me state, the movie is as hollow as the attempt to revive it. Great music, choreography - and innumerable cringe moments as Ghai slowly, but surely loses his deft hand in direction.   

Rumours have it that Ghai couldn't communicate well with monosyllabic Sridevi on the sets of Karma, and Sridevi didn't like doing films where she had little to do in an ensemble film, so the two never really worked together again after Karma - thus it remains their first and final film together.

1. We have a huge gallery of features and images from the film Karma here. 
2. Subash Ghai with Sridevi over the years here.
3. Jackie Shroff with Sridevi here.

The Karma posters - Sridevi's sensuous amrapali outfit in all-black and dazzling gold jewellery was such a rage in the 80s... 

Now Subash Ghai, a famously ineloquent speaker in English but a thinker none-the-less, always had rather bizarre tags. Love Brings Alive... Karma. Um.. really?! 

Sridevi in Karma (1986)

A digitially manipulated picture as in the film, Sridevi was wearing a white sari with a red border. Still, a beautiful portrait of exquisite Indian actress Sridevi.

 

Classic Sridevi: Sitar, the Star, the Jhumka: Classic 90s portrait of Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Classic Sridevi: Sitar, the Star, the Jhumka: Classic 90s portrait of Sridevi by Gautam Rajadhyaksha 

Sitara Devi? Sridevi and her sitars

 Sitara Devi? Sridevi and her sitars 

Now and Then: Sitara Devi: Sridevi and the Sitar on Screen

 Now and Then: Sitara Devi: Sridevi and the Sitar on Screen 

Sridevi fan art: Sitar devi!

(L) Sridevi portrait by Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Filmfare: (R) fan art of Sridevi 

Sridevi in Johnny (1980): Singer and Sitar player in the iconic Tamil film

Sitara devi?! kidding. 

Sridevi on the sets of Johnny (1980)

More than a dream, No less than a Goddess: Sridevi

Sridevi on the sets of Karma (1986)

Though Ghai has lost his steam since... a decade now, in the '80s, his banner was one of the biggest in Bollywood. Rumour has it Sridevi regretted doing the film as it had a huge multi-star cast and she didn't have much to do in the movie - although this is pure speculation in the media as Sridevi rarely spoke, let alone say an unkind word. However, after the film she never worked with Ghai again nor did she appear in multi-star cast films that didn't have her in a prominent role.

Gifs of Sridevi are popular on tumblr - she was the queen of the reaction shots after all...

More than a dream, No less than a Goddess: Sridevi

Sridevi on the sets of Karma back in 1986 with Jackie Shroff

Did ya know? Karma was re screened on 4th April 2018 at Subash Ghai's theater New Excelsior Mukta, a week after her death to pay a tribute to her.

Sridevi and Subash Ghai had a cordial yet distant relationship during the making of and after Karma. She never worked with the director again - not sure if it was her choice or his - she never worked in a multi-star cast film either.

Decades after Karma, Sridevi spoke at Subash Ghai's school Whistling Woods and Ghai was in the audience. The two did a Q&A chat together and seemed to be fine after years of at-arm's-length distance.\

Sridevi in Karma

click to enlarge

Gorgeous Sridevi in Karma (1986). 

Yahi Hai Right Choice: Sridevi for the M.S. Subbulakshmi biopic? Why not??

As a musical based on the legendary Carnatic classical singer, Bharat Ratna honouree M.S. Subbulakshmi is in the development stages, with Vidya Balan having been approached by director Rajiv Menon, we fans are amazed that the production team hasn't considered the gem of an actress that is... Sridevi.

A multilingual, multifaceted and marvelous actress, who is fluent in Tamil and Telugu, Sridevi's versatility and range could bring a depth and maturity to the performance unlike any other contemporary actress living in India today.

Having starred in 250 plus films (a number which she herself is unsure of), there are few frontiers left that Sridevi has yet to conquer, having proved time and again that there are few thespians of her caliber. In her vast repertoire, she hasn't done many films based on real life characters. For an actress who has seemingly done it all, what a fine challenge this would be to portray an iconic singer from the age of 18 to 88...

Years ago, when Filmfare asked Mani Ratnam about Sridevi, he had simply stated that her best work was in Tamil films and he didn't have much to say about her Bollywood/Hindi films. Suhasini Ratnam, a fine actress herself, has gushed about Sridevi on her talk show without fawning over the screen queen, as she sincerely wished her audience to catch Sridevi's resplendent performance in English Vinglish. She had worked with Sridevi in Telugu films and their association goes further back - her uncle is of course Kamal Haasan, one of Sridevi's most frequent co-stars.

Nagarjuna, a co-star of many a Sri film, had said in a television interview that even the biggest stars and directors were in awe of Sridevi - himself included.

As a beloved icon of South Indian cinema, who is extremely proud of her heritage as she shuttles between Chennai and Mumbai, just the idea of Sridevi essaying the divine M.S. Subbulakshmi has us lost in thought. Just the awesome potential of it...

We are huge fans of Rajiv Menon, who made one of the finest films of 2000, Kandukondain Kandukondain (a Tamil adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility no less), where he balanced multiple story lines with an A-list cast (as many a critic will tell you, it even has Aishwarya Rai's finest act) and gave justice to each character. 

With a director of his ability and with an actress like Sridevi, that's lightening in a bottle waiting to be captured.

If only... 

Sridevi: Portraits by legendary Indian photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha

Sridevi, portraits by legendary Indian photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha for Filmfare magazine.

 

Sridevi in Filmfare magazine: 90s photoessay

All images by the late great Gautam da