Jagmohan Singh Barhok
On Her Birth Anniversary
Sridevi, it would be conceded, was the only actress in the film industry who could dictate her own terms and conditions to producers. Indeed the latter were ever willing to eat out of her hands. Not only that in any bargain with the producers she had the last word. She accepted the roles she liked and rejected those she didn’t . She alone has had the cheek to express her disinclination-albeit,in diplomatic terms -to be paired with mega star Amitabh Bachchan evidently after her experience with the actor in two of their films-“Inqilaab” and”Aakhri Raasta”.Shridevi was a class by herself. She lived and did act in style. Having burned her fingers by acting in a couple of hero-oriented films,she later decided to sign only heroine-dominated films or those that put the hero and the heroine on par with each other.This was evident from the titles of her later films like ” Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja”,”Banjaran” & “Chandni”.In all these three films,she played the lead. “Chandni” was Yash Chopra’s film.Initially Rekha was slated to play the heroine.Sridevi was paired opposite Jeetendra (Justice Chaudhary, Maqsad,Tohfaa, Himmatwaala , Mawaali), in a number of films.
.In “Himmatwala” Sridevi ( May Her Soul Rest in Peace) acted & danced most uninbitedly ,making a dazzling display of her shapely, curvaceous and voluptuous anatomy through a variety of costumes. As a gifted dancer, she swung her hips so erotically that she came to be called’ The Thundering Thighs”. Jeetendra who matched her dancing expertise step to step,attracted the epithet “Jumping Jack”. They became, ‘made for each other screen pair’ in films. Interestingly, he co starred Sridevi in 11 of her 29 releases including “Tohfa”, “Maqsad”, “Mawaali”, & “Justice Chaudhary”. In Tohfa”, “Maqsad” & “Mawaali” jaya Prada played the second fiddle to Sridevi.She also worked opposite Rajesh Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty ,Dharmendra & Amitabh Bachchan. At a time her closest rivals were Rekha, Dimple Kapadia, Meenakshi Sheshadhri and Jaya Prada,
Sridevi went her way too successfully like an empress, reigning supreme. “Nagina” & “Mr.India” gave the actress renewed confidence and strength, sort of a catalyst. The lukeworm reception that some of her films like “Sone Pe Suhaaga”,” Ram Avtaar”,& ” Sherni” definitely gave the actress a sort of jolt, forcing her to rethinking and have a retrospective examination of the debacle. Her reported prolonged ‘torrid’ affair with Mithun Chakraborty provide the grapewine & the gossip- mills plenty of scandalous grist, giving the poor Yogita Bali ( also born this day in 1952), many many long sleepless nights in the process. The persistent media din about their secret marriage was a hot subject for a long time. Sridevi’s strong denials notwithstanding. For a time, she even stopped accepting roles opposite Mithun.
Sridevi in “Lamhe”
Her other prominent films include the likes of ” Chaalbaaz”, “Karma,” Lamhe”, ” Masterji” , “Khuda Gawah”, “English Vinglish” & “Mom”. “Lamhe” won Filmfare Awards in 5 categories including Best Film for Yash Chopra & Best Actress Sri Devi. Sridevi was bestowed with Padma Shri in 2013 by the then President Pranab Mukherjee. She also won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in ” Chaalbaz” ( 1990), and National Film Award for Best Actress for “Mom”( 2018). She won many awards in regional films including Filmfare Awards South. Many actresses later idolized her as their inspiration.
Born, Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan on this day in 1963 at Meenampati in Madras, the darling of millions of cinegoers, Sridevi was reportedly & mysteriously, too, found dead ( accidentally drowning in the bath tub) on 24 February 2018 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in Dubai. Married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had two children including actress Janhvi Kapoor, the actress was accorded the highest tribute in 2018 during the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, though she had never ever featured in any Hollywood film. Born this Day in 1963.
