Style file: Stylist edit: The village belle look: Rekha, Sridevi

Style file: Stylist edit: The village belle look: Rekha, Sridevi 

Same same, but different. 

• Stylist edit: Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit here
• Stylist edit: Sridevi and Hema Malini here
• Stylist edit: Sridevi and Rekha here

Sridevi as Archana in Johnny: South Times

From South Times:

Weekly Feature : Style Diaries - 2

Sridevi as Archana in Johnny

Sridevi as singer Archana appears to have been styled after P Susheela [below Susheeela with Sridevi] with the way she drapes her saree. Her hair was always tied in a low bun or a loose plait. Archana’s love for flowers were reflected in her floral printed/embroidered sarees, some as delicate as her. The white pearl necklace and pearl studs made her look as pristine as her character. The light make-up, nose stud and the occasional rose on her hair added that extra prettiness to Sridevi who radiated a divine aura.

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Top 10 Looks of Sridevi in Chandni - that were NOT in white!

Released 31 years ago on September 14, 1989, Chandni was a runaway blockbuster that brought melody and romance back to Bollywood, demarcating the end of the cacophony of the 1980s. The title role and character of Chandni is perhaps closest to the real Sridevi - as she herself professed in interviews. We've written soooo much about the film over the years, scroll back for a quick gander.  

Today, we are focusing on Sridevi's epic wardrobe in the film - possibly the finest of 80s fashion on film (second only to Rekha in Silsila - before you bark at us, watch Silsila again and reluctantly nod in agreement!). 

MOVIE magazine, August 1989

Sridevi had 68 looks and outfit changes in the nearly three hour film. Only 10 of them are in white! But as the title was Chandni by word - not wardrobe - association, the most memorable moments are engulfed in rolls of white fabric. Statistically in fact, she hardly wore the colour in the movie - but its the association with the poetry of Chandni that makes us think of ivory and lace and the virginal grace of the leading lady. For a romantic film, it's one of the most chaste movies made - as a Western reviewer friend of ours pointed out...

Here are the top ten looks by designers Bhanu Athiya (Academy Award winner), Neeta Lulla and Leena Daru (National Award winners) for the film. 

Sridevi sported a festival of colours - particularly in the first quarter of the movie - and then onward to monochrome chiffon saris. For many, the yellow sari stands out  - she wore two different kinds in the movie, the more gossamer version in the opening stanza of Tere Mere Hoton Pe - and the signature wet sari look from Lagi Aaj Saawan... 

Sridevi was just 25 when the film was made and already at her peak. Just when  you thought she couldn't be better... came Chaalbaaz, then Lamhe, then Laadla (which Yash Chopra praised) Judaai, English Vingish, Mom...  

Such infinite talent in such a finite life. We still can't get over this loss... Here's reflecting on the luminescent Sridevi in and as Chandni. 

* * * 

The White Light: Sridevi's most elegant outfit - in our opinion - is only on screen for a few seconds - in the last stanza of Tere Mere Hoton pe. A shimmering elegant, white sari as she and Rishi Kapoor strut around Switzerland. This rare picture below captures the best of the duo; where Sri and Rishi look so polished and perfect. 

Same same, but different! Stylin' Sridevi in movies: Looks so similar that even WE get confused

Sridevi

Above: (L) Sridevi in Nigahein (R) Sridevi in Main Tera Dushman 



Even we get confused while we go about tagging and labeling images of Sridevi and putting them in the right film category. We've made mistakes - and lordy-lord we be self-professed hardcore mega fans of the Goddess Sri! - so obviously others do too. A lot!

So here's our thumbnail of corrective measures.

Sridevi may not have repeated looks often (well, she did occasionally) but she did repeat styles and here is a confounding array of myriad images of the movie star in similar but different outfits over the years.

Below: (L) Sridevi's dancing diva look for Pathar Ke Insaan. (R) Sridevi's dancing diva look in Naaka Bandi! Sooooo alike... but different amrapali outfits.

Above: Sridevi in Naya Kadam and Sridevi in...?

Below: (L) Sridevi's engagement look in Chandni. (R) Possibly Sridevi on the sets of... Nagina?

Above: (L) Sridevi in Gurudev, (R) Sridevi in Chandni.

The above created such online ruckus + the usual trolling when we posted on the Sridevi fan page on Facebook - we've now come to expect such lunacy from hardcore fanatics who increase their volume but not their reasoning! The outfits are very similar but obviously different (look at the shoulder length). The picture on the right was posted by YRF with the caption Sridevi in Chandni and a handful went ballistic stating it wasn't - amusing when you think the company had the original pictures, copyright and ownership of it! Now side-by-side, you can see Sri repeated styles, if not outfits.

Above: (L) Sridevi on the sets of Chand Ka Tukda, (R) Sridevi on the sets of Khuda Gawah

Below: (L) Sridevi on the sets of Chandramukhi and (R) Sridevi on the sets of Kshana Kshanam and Sridevi in Lamhe

Above: (L) Sridevi on the sets of Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) and (R) Sridevi and Anil Kapoor on the sets of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993).

Below: (L) Sridevi on the sets of Ghar Sansaar and (R) Sridevi in Waqt Ki Awaaz. Sridevi on the sets of This is a tough one - the only difference is she's wearing a red shirt in one and a red T-shirt in the other!!

Below: Sridevi in Balidaan (with cap), Sridevi in Jawab Hum Denege. Similar sari, colour etc - look at the blouse sleeve difference to note, they are similar looks but from two different movies. 

Similar styles but different films (not the hair and print). 

Below: (L) Sridevi in a white and gold dancer's amrapali costume in the Telugu film Burripalem Bullodu (1979) and (R) Sridevi in the Tamil film Guru (1980). The jewellery and accessories are the same, even the gold spaghetti strap is the same but the pattern on the blouse is different. Eagle eyed fans pointed it out!  

Above: Sridevi in a print sari in two different films. One look from Akalmand (R), the other from Maqsad (L). 

Below: Sridevi in Farishtay (L) Sridevi in Gair Kanooni (R)
 

Major throwback to the black and white era of the 1970s in South Indian cinema; Sridevi as a child-bride in many a movie. These two looks so similar but... different. (Note the similar sari but different head accessories, hair style). 

(L) Sridevi in the in the Kannada film Hennu Samsarada Kannu (1975) and (R) Sridevi in the Tamil film Taxi Driver (1978). 

(L) Sridevi in the Telugu film Makutamleni Maharaju (1987)

(R) Sridevi in the Tamil film Naan Adimai Illai (1986)

Below: So similar but different films. Sridevi in Sherni (1988) and Sridevi in Aulad (1987)

Below: Sridevi in Karma (1986) and Sridevi in Pachani Kapuram (1985) 

Above: Sridevi at the launch of the shelved film Govinda (1984) and Nazrana (1984). 

Below: Sridevi on the sets of Khuda Gawah (1992) and Gumrah (1993) 

Below: Sridevi's village belle look in two films, 16 Vayathinile (1977) and Kalyanaraman (1979)

Above: Sridevi in Laadla (1994), Sridevi in Kaun Sachcha, Kaun Jhootha (1997).