Born Shree Amma Yanger Ayappar in Tamil Nadu on August 13, 1963, Sridevi began working as a child actor at the young age of four. Over almost five decades, and after nearly 300 movies, she was one of the rare multi-lingual actors who had achieved superstardom in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam film industries. It's a testament to her stardom that her impact on the Indian film industry is still resonating even after a year of her death. Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018, in Dubai, after suffering a cardiac arrest, but her legacy continues on with her daughter Janhvi Kapoor, who made her own foray into Bollywood last year with a much-lauded performance in Dharma Productions' Dhadak. As we move close to the actor's first death anniversary, we take a look at everything that made her one of the most iconic stars of the country.
Sridevi was the first female superstar of Bollywood
Whether it was a rib-tickling comedy like Chalbaaz or a tear-jerker drama like Sadma, Sridevi was a mistress of all. During her peak, she was named the ‘female Amitabh Bachchan' by the elating dailies of the time, a term that was supposed to cement her status as Bollywood's first female superstar. With her slew of successes, she was one of the few female actors who could steer a movie's box office fate on her own. Reportedly, she was offered a minor role in Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg, but she refused it saying that it didn't suit her stardom at the time.
She was a chameleon when it came to her roles
Sridevi's filmography is widely varied, featuring roles that had her play everything from an amnesiac woman who had regressed back to being a six-year-old (Sadma), to a campy shapeshifting snake woman (Nagina). Late director Yash Chopra, who directed her in Chandni (1989) and then in Lamhe (1991), once said that she had the unique capacity to immerse herself in a role. When the cameras were on, Sridevi the star disappeared, and whatever character she was playing took her place. The doe-eyed actor was known to commit passionately to her roles, a trait that made her a favourite among the top filmmakers of her time.
She had no time for media's narrative of female actors being pitted against one another
If the headlines are to be believed, there's no room for more than one successful female actor in Bollywood. Sridevi was having none of that. When she was asked about her rivals in the industry, she said, “Where are the rivals? There can be rivalry only between two equals. My only rival at the moment is Sridevi. I'm constantly trying to upstage her. I'm doing it to the point of obsession.”
She had no time for Bollywood's ageism
It's not uncommon for (much) older male actors to work with (much) younger women on screen, but the opposite is often considered noteworthy. Sridevi had no time for this hypocrisy. She had signed a film with Akshay Kumar (Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin, 2004), who was four years younger than her, and was baffled at the line of questioning about her choice. “I have seen Akshay Kumar's films, he seems to be very hardworking. I have no reason to refuse to act with him. I'm playing my age. I'm not hiding anything,” she said in an interview.
She was one of the most stylish women onscreen and offscreen
Some of Bollywood's most memorable fashion moments are courtesy Sridevi. Whether it was a clingy blue sari or a blinding gold dress (with a theatrical gold crown to match), she pulled it off like nobody else. Offscreen, she was among the most stylish women in Bollywood. Her well-documented airport looks and many red carpet appearances in outfits by the country's top designers are a proof of that. Designer Manish Malhotra called her his muse and French designer Christian Louboutin was also a huge fan, calling Sridevi his ‘childhood idol'.
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Despite being a big superstar, she was remarkably shy and reserved with media
Contrary to the firebrand characters she used to play onscreen, Sridevi was notoriously reserved in front of the media. She never addressed the rumours that followed her around. Her elusive nature with the press gave her the unique ability to transform into a myriad of characters onscreen, without letting Sridevi the person seep in.
She had stellar work ethic that she passed down to her daughters
One thing that set Sridevi apart from most of her contemporaries was her work ethic. She was known to be punctual on set and had no starry airs about giving multiple retakes. She credited that to her early start in the business. In an interview, she explained how it was important that her daughters Janhvi and Khushi, who will be following her footsteps in the industry, learnt the importance of discipline. “Both my daughters have been brought up with certain ethics and values and know where to draw a line. There are more professional managers, crew, and filmmakers now, but there's no substitute for handwork,” she said.
Also read:
Remembering Sridevi's ‘Chandni', the role that inspired my name
Janhvi Kapoor sports two brocade saris in a touching tribute to Sridevi
Sridevi, 54, dies of cardiac arrest: Industry mourns the loss
