Veteran actress Sridevi continues to be the reigning queen of Bollywood and hearts even as she turns 54
Veteran actress Sridevi continues to be the reigning queen of Bollywood and hearts even as she turns 54. Popularly hailed as the first female superstar of Hindi cinema, the actress remains a powerhouse of talent even today. After her comeback with 2012's English Vinglish, Sridevi stunned fans with her performance as a villainous queen in Puli, which also marked her comeback to Tamil cinema after a gap of more than two decades.
Last seen in Mom, we can expect to see Sridevi in the sequel of the very popular Mr India.
As she turns a year older today, here's a look at her journey so far.
Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963 in Meenampatti village near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. Her father was a lawyer from Tamil Nadu and her mother was from Andhra Pradesh.
Sridevi made her acting debut at the age of four, acting in several Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist for her performance in Poombatta (1971).
All of 13, Sridevi appeared in her first starring role in the 1976 Tamil movie Moondru Mudichu opposite Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. The movie was a love triangle, with Rajinikanth playing the anti-hero.
Her first Hindi film was the 1975 blockbuster romance Julie, where she played lead actress Lakshmi's younger sister, Irene.
Sridevi's first Hindi movie as the main lead was Solva Saawan (1978) opposite Amol Palekar. The movie flopped.
Her first super-duper hit in Bollywood was Himmatwala (1983), where she featured opposite Jeetendra. The pair became a favourite of the masses and Sri and Jeetendra acted in many other movies like Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), and Aulaad (1987) to name a few.
Sadma, in the same year, was her first critical success. Sridevi starred opposite Kamal Haasan in the Hindi remake of their Tamil hit Moondram Pirai and her outstanding performance in the movie won her a nomination in the Best Actress category of Filmfare Awards.
Sridevi acted in Jaag Utha Insaan (1984), opposite Mithun Chakravarty and Rakesh Roshan. Sridevi and Mithun reportedly embarked on an affair, and even married secretly, according to filmy gossip. The union was shortlived, ending when Sridevi discovered her 'husband' was still married to actress Yogeeta Bali.
In 1986, Sridevi played a snake-woman in Nagina, a role rejected by many actresses, opposite Rishi Kapoor. The movie became a superhit and the credit went to Sri and her snake dance. She followed it up with a sequel called Nigaahen (1989).
Shekhar Kapur's blockbuster movie Mr India (1987) made Anil Kapoor and Sridevi one of the most wanted on-screen couples of the late '80s. Among the highlights of the film were Sridevi's hilarious take-off on Charlie Chaplin, the tongue-in-cheek dance number Hawa Hawai and the sultry Kaate Nahin Kat Te featuring a blue chiffon-clad Sri.
In 1989, Sridevi played a double role in Pankaj Parashar's Chaalbaaz, which was a remake of Sita Aur Gita. She was cast opposite Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth and bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance.
In 1989, Sridevi played the definitive 'Yash Chopra heroine' in Chandni. She made famous the white chiffon saree that would become a hallmark of a Yash Chopra romance.
Lamhe (1991), Sridevi's second film with Yash Chopra, was among her career-best performances. She was again cast opposite Anil Kapoor and won a lot of acclaim for her portrayal of a mother and a daughter. She also won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the movie, which many said was ahead of its time. It flopped at the box office.
Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993) produced by Boney Kapoor and featuring Sridevi and Anil Kapoor was one of the most expensive movies of the '90s. But the lavish sets and the beautiful outfits couldn't save the movie from box office doom.
Judaai (1997) featuring Sridevi, Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar was Sridevi's last movie as romantic lead. She would not return to the big screen for the next 15 years.
In 2012, Sridevi made a comeback to end all comebacks in English Vinglish. From the very first frame it was evident that the Queen Bee had lost none of her Mr India charm. As Shashi, the housewife struggling to learn English after being belittled by her family, Sridevi made a searing return to Bollywood. The following year, she also made an appearance in Bombay Talkies.
Then in 2015, there was Puli. Wow, Sridevi.
This year, Sridevi played the protagonist in Ravi Udyawar's MOM, co-starring with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna.
Sridevi made her small screen debut in 2004 with the serial Malini Iyer.
Sridevi married Boney Kapoor in 1996 and they have two lovely daughters named Jhanvi and Khushi.
Meanwhile, she is a favourite on the covers of the latest magazines be it Filmfare, Stardust and Vogue.
