Woman in Red: Sridevi: Sridevi and Krishna in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Sridevi and Krishna in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Sridevi in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Sparkling Sridevi in blue from the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984), the song Thummeda Mantram 

Krishna and Sridevi in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Krishna and Sridevi in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984) 

 

Gun Control: Sridevi in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Sridevi on the sets of the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984). 

Rockin' some denim duds. Though she did several action packed films, however, Sridevi has said in past interviews she didn't always enjoy them!

However, she did work the most with Krishna - more than any other star - so clearly they worked and vibed well, despite their massive age gap. 

TBT: Sridevi in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984)

 TBT: Sridevi in Kanchu Kagada (1984)

Sridevi and Krishna in Kanchu Kagada (1984): Dubbed in Hindi as Aaya Toofan

 Sridevi and Krishna in the Telugu film Kanchu Kagada (1984): Dubbed in Hindi as Aaya Toofan 

Sridevi, Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Kader Khan and Shakti Kapoor in Tohfa (1984)

Tohfa (Gift) is a 1984 Indian  film, produced by D. Ramanaidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao.

With Sridevi, Jeetendra and Jaya Prada in the lead roles, with music composed by Bappi Lahiri. The film is a remake of the Telugu film Devata (1982). The film upon its release was a massive commercial success, grossing ₹45 million at the domestic box office, becoming the highest grossing Indian film of 1984.

The film's narrative follows siblings Janki and Lalita who both fall for Ram, their good friend. When Lalita learns that Janki loves Ram, she steps back and allows her sister to marry him. It was a direct remake of Raghavendra Rao's Telugu blockbuster Devatha (1982), with Sridevi and Jaya Prada reprising their roles.

At the 32nd Filmfare Awards, Tohfa received three nominations: Best Comic Actor (Kapoor), Best Music and Best Lyrics "Pyaar Ka Tohfa Tera."

A moment to note Sridevi's sheer will power and work ethic. In 1984 alone, Sridevi was a part of a whopping 11 films in multiple languages;

Telugu

1984     Babulugaadi Debba     

1984     S.P. Bhayankar         
1984     Kanchu Kagada         
1984     Kode Trachu                                 

Hindi

1984     Jaag Utha Insan         
1984     Akalmand         
1984     Inquilaab         
1984     Tohfa         
1984     Maqsad         
1984     Naya Kadam
 

Malayalam

1984     Premabhishekam    

 

 

 

Sridevi with Krishna: Her most Frequent Co-star in Telugu films

 

Its staggering how often the Telugu superstars worked together - Krishna and Sridevi worked in an incredible 31 films. 

No.	Name of Film	Year	Hit/Flop
1	Burripalem Bullodu	1979	Hit
2	Samajaniki Saval	1979	Flop
3	Devudichina Koduku	1980	Hit
4	Gharana Donga	1980	Hit
5	Mama Allulla Sawal	1980	Flop
6	Adhrustavanthudu	1980	Hit
7	Ram – Robert – Rahim	1980	Flop
8	Chuttalunnaru Jagratha	1980	Hit
9	Bangaru Bava	1980	Flop
10	Guru Shishyulu	1981	Hit
11	Bhoga Bagyalu	1981	Hit
12	Gadasari Atha-Sogasari Kodalu	1981	Flop
13	Bangaru Bhoomi	1982	Hit
14	Bangaru Koduku	1982	Flop
15	Krishnarjunulu	1982	Hit
16	Prema Nakshatram	1982	Hit
17	Krishnaavatharam	1982	Flop
18	Shamsher Shankar	1982	Hit
19	Kalavaari Samsaaram	1982	Hit
20	Oorantha Sankranthi	1983	Flop
21	Kirayi Kotigadu	1983	Hit
22	Adavi Simhalu	1983	Hit
23	Ramarajyamlo Bhimaraju	1983	Flop
24	Kanchu Kagada	1984	Hit
25	Vajrayudham	1985	Hit
26	Pachani Kapuram	1985	Flop
27	Jayam Manade	1986	Hit
28	Khaidi Rudrayya	1986	Hit
29	Makutam Leni Maharaju	1987	Flop
30	Maa Oori Magaduv	1987	Hit
31	Maharajasri Mayagadu	1988	Hit

The staggering stats; Krishna and Sridevi worked in 31 Telugu films with 18 super hits! Despite a 20 year age gap, the two worked over a span of 9 years, averaging just over 3 films a year. At most they had 7 films released in 1980 and just the one in 1988, capping their filmography with a massive hit. 

Sridevi's Most Frequent Co-star: 31 films in 9 Years!

It isn't Kamal Haasan, certainly not Anil Kapoor, nor Jeetendra but Sridevi's most frequent co-star in her incredible career was Krishna. The two appeared in a whopping 31 films together over the span of a decade. A feat that will never happen again as stars of today prefer novelty, newer stars (often yonger co-stars!) over experience! 

Two leading stars in so many films so often - what an incredible repertoire! In 1980 and again in 1982 they appeared in seven Telugu films! 

Sridevi was just a child when she first met Krishna - and was 25 when she made her last film with him in the comic caper turned drama Maharajasri Mayagadu (1988). 

For this listicle, I must confess, it is a complete daylight robbery of information from Cinema Cinema Cinema here - as I had no idea (not a Telugu speaker) that Sridevi had such a massive film history with Krishna in oh-so-many movies. 

With Rishi Kapoor and Sunny Deol, Sridevi barely did six films, a dozen with Anil Kapoor, 15 with Jeetendra, but double that and then some with Krishna! 

I've seen bits and pieces of their work together online and its a staggering amount of work. And the range! Sridevi acted as Krishna’s daughter in Maa Nanna Nirdoshi, she essayed the part of his sister in the Telugu film Devudu Laanti Manishi and Sridevi acted as Krishna’s mother in the film Samaajaniki Sawal - while keeping in mind Sridevi was 20 years younger than Krishna! 

She was his girlfriend/spouse/love interest in over two dozen films too! Oh Telugu cinema! Prolific. 

The 31 Telugu films of Sridevi and Krishna include;

1. Burripalem Bullodu                      (16/11/1979) 
2. Samajaniki Saval                          (28/12/1979) 
3. Devudichina Koduku                    (04/02/1980) 
4. Gharana Donga                            (29/03/1980) 
5. Mama Allulla Sawal                     (10/04/1980) 
6. Adhrustavanthudu                        (09/05/1980) 
7. Ram – Robert – Rahim                 (31/05/1980) 
8. Chuttalunnaru Jagratha               (08/08/1980) 
9. Bangaru Bava                              (31/12/1980) 
10. Guru Shishyulu                             (21/03/1981) 
11. Bhoga Bagyalu                             (05/06/1981) 
12. Gadasari Atha-Sogasari Kodalu  (20/06/1981)
13. Bangaru Bhoomi                          (14/01/1982) 
14. Bangaru Koduku                          (19/02/1982) 
15. Krishnarjunulu                            (26/03/1982)
16. Prema Nakshatram                     (06/08/1982) 
17. Krishnaavatharam                      (22/09/1982) 
18. Shamsher Shankar                      (21/10/1982)
19. Kalavaari Samsaaram                (03/12/1982) 
20. Oorantha Sankranthi1                (02/02/1983) 
21. Kirayi Kotigadu                          (17/03/1983) 
22. Adavi Simhalu                             (24/04/1983) 
23. Ramarajyamlo Bhimaraju          (28/07/1983) 
24. Kanchu Kagada                          (28/09/1984) 
25. Vajrayudham                               (05/07/1985) 
26. Pachani Kapuram                      (07/09/1985) 
27. Jayam Manade                            (10/04/1986)
28. Khaidi Rudrayya                        (05/06/1986)
29. Makutam Leni Maharaju           (13/03/1987)
30. Maa Oori Magaduv                   (30/10/1987) 
31. Maharajasri Mayagadu             (09/09/1988)  

Left: Krishna with Sridevi. 

Hit/Flop Status Details:

• Gharana Donga (1980): Ran for 48 days in Hyderabad and was one of three direct 100-day films with Krishna and Sridevi in 1980, indicating a hit.
• Mama Allulla Sawal (1980): Ran for 70 days in Hyderabad and was a direct 100-day film, confirming hit status.
• Adhrustavanthudu (1980): Ran for 70 days in Hyderabad, suggesting commercial success and hit status.
• Chuttalunnaru Jagratha (1980): A direct 100-day film, confirming it as a hit.
• Bhoga Bagyalu (1981): Ran for 50 days in Vijayawada, indicating a hit.
• Gadasari Atha-Sogasari Kodalu (1981): Ran for 56 days in Vijayawada, confirming hit status.
• Bangaru Bhoomi (1982): Ran for 25 days with packed houses in Vizag, indicating a hit.
• Bangaru Koduku (1982): Part of three consecutive films with Sridevi in 1982, likely a hit based on their track record.
• Krishnarjunulu (1982): Part of the same successful 1982 trio with Sridevi, likely a hit.
• Kalavaari Samsaaram (1982): Ran for 28 days with packed houses in Vizag, confirming hit status.
• Oorantha Sankranthi (1983): Noted for rapid production and strong performance, likely a hit based on Krishna-Sridevi’s record.
• Kirayi Kotigadu (1983): Ran for 100 days in Nidadavolu, indicating a hit.
• Vajrayudham (1985): Ran for 50 days in multiple centers, confirming hit status.
• Pachani Kapuram (1985): Ran for 50 days in multiple centers, confirming hit status.
• Unknown Status: For films like Burripalem Bullodu, Samajaniki Saval, Devudichina Koduku, and others, no specific box office data was found in the provided sources or additional searches. Telugu cinema records from this period are sparse, and even IMDb or Wikipedia lists lack detailed verdicts for these films.

Search and Source Notes:

• The primary source for hit status is a blog post detailing Krishna and Sridevi’s collaborations, which provides specific runtime data (e.g., 50 or 100 days in specific centers). In Telugu cinema, films running 50+ days in multiple centers or 100+ days in any center are typically considered hits.
• Other sources, like Wikipedia’s list of highest-grossing Telugu films or IMDb’s top Telugu movies, focus on major milestones (e.g., Mayabazar or Gharana Mogudu) and don’t cover the specific films listed here.
• Krishna’s filmography on Wikipedia and other sites confirms the release of these films but lacks box office verdicts.
• No relevant X posts provided detailed box office data for these films, and modern Tollywood box office trackers focus on post-1990s films.
• Limitations: The 1979–1988 period lacks comprehensive box office reporting, and fan-driven sources may exaggerate success. I’ve cross-checked claims critically, but some statuses remain unverified.