10 reasons why Sridevi will remain our favourite female superstar
Last updated on - Mar 1, 2018, 17:40 ISTShare fbsharetwsharepinshare
01/11Here are some things that we will always remember about legendary actress.
The nation is in a state of shock till now; we are still not able to believe that the legendary actress is no more. Her untimely death has shocked the whole film fraternity apart from her family and friends. Bollywood expressed their grief through social media when the news broke out on Sunday. She was known as the 1st female actress in Bollywood. The actress had begun her career at the age of four. She was child artist and has worked in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada films. She was outstanding on screen, be it ‘Sadma’ or ‘English Vinglish’. In 2013, the Government of India awarded Sridevi the Padma Shri, the countries fourth highest civilian accolade for her contributions to the entertainment industry. Honourary awards were also conferred on her by the state governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. Here are some things that we will always remember about legendary actress.
02/11She was the 1st female superstar
The actress was born in 1963, to a lawyer father and named, Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan. At the tender age of 4, the born performer took on her first project and starred in Thirumugham's devotional film, Thunaivan (1967). In an interview earlier she had spoken about missing out on a carefree childhood when she began working as an actor, "I lost out on going to school and college life but I got into the film industry and worked without a gap from a child actor, I went straight to heroine. There was no time to think and I was grateful for it," she said. "In order to get something you have to lose something. You can't have everything in life. So I am happy with what I got." People laud her versatility and her performances in Hindi cinema, but not many are aware of her linguistic prowess as Sridevi was already ruling the regional film industry and had acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. It was the immense dedication of Sridevi towards her work that despite having a high fever, the actress finished shoot for the song 'Na Jaane Kaha Se Aayi Hai' of movie ‘Chaalbaaz’. She could not speak Hindi when she had begun her career in the film industry.
03/11She gave her 50 years of life to films
In 2013 Government of India awarded her Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor. As if conquering the whole country wasn't enough, the iconic star's talent had crossed over to the West when Sridevi was also considered for a role in Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg wanted to cast her for a brief role. But she was at the peak of her career in Bollywood then and had rejected the idea of a hiatus from Bollywood. Her last screen appearance will be in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Zero, for which she had already shot a cameo. Bollywood's first female superstar Sridevi was the highest-paid Hindi film actress from 1985-1992. Truly, a legend. Chaalbaaz (1989) was a classic example of the way in which she could eclipse her co-stars. She played a double role: one of the characters being gentle and docile, but the other, bossy and tomboyish. The film had several impossibly unrealistic sequences, but Sridevi made us believe in what we saw and turned it into a thoroughly enjoyable watch. She explored many different zones and showed her comfort level wherever she went. If Chaalbaaz was an example of how she could go overboard and delight the audiences, Sadma (1983) was a nuanced classic directed by Balu Mahendra.
04/11Her grace and dance
‘Mere Haathon Mein’ from ‘Chandni’ film was one of her best performances. The actress was very graceful. The song from ‘Chandini’ celebrated Sridevi’s character, Chandni, in all her glory. It is through this performance that Rishi Kapoor’s character falls even more in love with her. Sridevi was one of the few actors who was quite known for her dancing skills and this track is a fine example of the same. Director Yash Chopra presented the actor like an icon here and deservedly so. Her most popular song was ‘Hawa Hawai’ . A Sridevi classic that had all the magic thanks to her charismatic personality, her expressive eyes and of course, her dancing skills. ‘Hawa Hawai’ has her posing as a dancer even though she is at the location for investigative purposes. This song was quite a rage back in the day and has still not lost any fans. In 2017, with Vidya Balan starrer ‘Tumhari Sulu’, ‘Hawa Hawai 2.0’ was even recreated for a younger audience. One of her romantic best were ‘Kaate Nahi Kat-Te’, with this song, Sridevi was hailed as the undisputed sensual diva of Bollywood. Romancing an invisible man here, Sridevi was gorgeous and graceful in the video of this song. 'Mr India' had her display her acting potential to the fullest. One more song will have to be ‘Na Jane Kahan Se Aayi Hai’, This song completely defines her quirky character Anju. Dancing in the rain with umbrellas and raincoats, this reminds us of the spontaneity that Sridevi brought to the silver screen.
05/11Her bubbly persona
Everyone who has worked with the actress has always spoken about her persona, how sweet and cordial she was with everyone on the sets of the film. Her co-stars have always remembered her as the smiling and charming lady who always cheered everyone on the sets. Her bubbly persona is seen in her characters as well, be it in ‘Chaalbaaz’ or the song ‘Hawa Hawai’. She was very sweet as a person and caring as well. Her onscreen son from ‘English Vinglish’ also said she used to talk to him always and made him feel comfortable on the sets, she became like his real mother. In the movie also she had a bubbly side who used to have fun with her son and danced to Michel Jackson steps and always played with her son. She was also fond of clothes and had the most amazing sense of humour in the film.
06/11Her belief in love for Boney Kapoor
Sridevi and Boney had a simple temple wedding. Boney left his first wife, Mona, and kids, Arjun and Anshula. In an interview she has said, "He (Boney) was 10 years older to me. I was 19 when I married him. So I literally grew up with him. Ours was a 13-year-old marriage. So it came as a shock when I realised that my husband was in love with somebody else... There was nothing left in the relationship to give it a chance because Sridevi was already with a child." The actress had also said, "I wouldn't know how important the emotion love is to the kids of today. Love for me is not just saying 'I love you' neither is it a physical attraction. Love does exist. And there are some people who do believe that virginity is the most prized possession a woman takes with her to her husband's house after she is married. What's wrong with that?” Recalling their journey she had said, "Boney came to me in 1984 to sign me to play Seema, the lead female role for 'Mr. India'. He confessed later, that he fell in love with me outright! He, however, did take a few years to sort out his life before formally proposing to me in 1993. I fell in love with him when I got to know the real him. It was difficult, traumatic even and it took me many years to finally accept the fact that I was destined to be with Boney. In hindsight, I only wish that I had realised and accepted his love for me sooner. I always believe in following my heart and I am glad that I did. My parents had passed away by then and my sister was shocked with my decision. But now, she shares a great relationship with my husband and is convinced that he is the best thing that ever happened to me!"
07/11Her painter side
Not many people are aware that Sridevi was an artist as well. How many talents can co-exist in one wonderful person? It's really surprising. She and Salman Khan bonded overpainting. Even though she stopped, it was only after 'Wanted', where Salman encouraged her, which is why she got back to painting. In fact, her painting even went International and accepted by a reputed International art auction house. She had made quite a few paintings and there were reports that she stayed back in Dubai post the wedding function of her nephew Mohit Marwah to auction her works of art in the Arab state. Among these paintings was also a portrait of Sonam Kapoor from her debut film ‘Saawariya’. Apparently, it was also said that "Sridevi has been painting for many years. It’s her favourite pastime. In 2010, an international art house approached her to auction her work. But she didn't agree. Since the event in Dubai is a noble cause, it drew her."
08/11Her professionalism
The actress was always on time during shoots, she used to not talk much in between shoots, everyone who has worked with the legendary actress has always said that the actress would always sit quietly and would talk very little. In spite of working in an industry where male leads were traditionally dominant, she, with her twin gifts of spontaneity and versatility, colonised the limelight with her performances quite often. Her range as a performer was nothing short of immense, her expressive eyes and body language enabling her to tackle the challenges in acting with complete ease.
09/11Her style and charisma
The actress wore the gorgeous outfits and would always look beautiful in each outfit she wore. She used to look mesmorising in Indian wear; it was like the outfit has been made for her. She was experimental but kept it classy and her wardrobe was rather tasteful. She also had the flair and poise to pull anything off, be it an elaborate lehenga or a sharp pantsuit. Today, we’ve picked out a few looks of hers that she was recently sported working and in them, she looked resplendent…just like we will always remember her to be.Maybe because she was an angel in disguise, Sridevi's favourite color was white. From her carefully curated outfits to everything in general, she was in love with everything 'white.' The report added that Sridevi always wanted everything to be in white when she dies and that her family is trying its best to fulfill the last wish. She was extremely health conscious. No late nights, no partying. She was one fashion diva.
10/11How she brought up her daughters
The actress was indeed a super mom. She loved having fun and enjoyed going out for meals and shopping with her daughters Jahnvi and Khushi. It was for her two daughters that Sridevi sacrificed her career. “If I took a long gap in my career, it was due to my daughters. I had to take care of them,” Sridevi once said during the promotion of her film 'Mom' in Hyderabad. She said she herself literally grew up in Hyderabad acting in many films. “In fact, my daughters spent a lot of time in Hyderabad which was like home to them,” she said adding that since her husband Boney Kapoor had made many films in Hyderabad, the family would spend a lot of time in Hyderabad. Raising up daughters Janhvi and Khushi was top priority for Sridevi, which is why she took a gap of 15 years to accept another film. 'English-Vinglish' fascinated her and she did that in 2012. She also accepted 'Mom' but once again her priority was to take care of her two daughters. So she waited until things fell in place for 'Mom' and did only that one picture which was released after a gap of five years in 2017. She said she felt her husband produced the movie as a gift for her.
