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Sridevi, who passed away yesterday at only 54 years old, was a legendary and beloved Indian actress. She was often dubbed the first female superstar of Indian cinema as she was immensely popular not just in Bollywood, but also in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries. Sridevi was possibly the only Indian actress whose clout surpassed that of any of her male co-stars. Her untimely death has left India and many fans of Indian cinema around the world in grief. I wanted to make this post to celebrate this remarkable woman and her incredible life.
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(Sridevi as a child with her parents)
Sridevi (birth name was Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan) was born on August 13, 1963 in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India. Her father, Ayyapan, was Tamil, and her mother, Rajeshwari, was Telugu. She also had a sister and two step brothers.
Her acting debut came at the age of four in a Tamil film, Thunaivan (1969). She played the role of a young Lord Murunga, and she went on to appear in many more films as a child actress. In 1975, Sridevi made her Bollywood film debut with "Julie".
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A clip of her from the Tamil film, Babu (1971).
Sridevi got her first leading role in a Tamil film, Moondru Mudichu (1976), and she starred in several notable Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films in this period. She was frequently paired with Kamal Haasan during this time.
A clip of her as Bhagyalakshmi/Vijaya in the Tamil film, Moondram Pirai (1982). She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for best actress for this movie.
In 1979, she made her Bollywood leading heroine debut with "Solva Sawan". Her first big hit in Bollywood came from the 1983 film, Himmatwala, where she stole the show and played opposite Jeetendra.
Naino Mein Sapna - Himmatwala
She would go on to make several more films with Jeetendra before starring in the critically acclaimed "Sadma" (1983). Sadma was a Hindi remake of Moondram Pirai.
Her next Bollywood super hit was Nagina (1986).
Main Teri Dushman - Nagina
In 1987, she starred in the mega hit "Mr India" with Anil Kapoor. It was with this film that she established herself as the top actress in India.
Kate Nahin Kat Te - Mr India
In 1989, she starred in a double role in the film, Chaalbaaz. Her co-stars were Sunny Deol and Rajnikanth. She won her first Hindi Filmfare Award for best actress for this movie.
Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai - Chaalbaaz
Then came one of the biggest hits of 1989, Chandni. Sridevi played the titular role opposite Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna. This movie is a classic and one of her most iconic roles. Her fashion in this film was notable and her dance/song sequence, Mere Haathon Mein, is one of the most memorable Hindi songs.
Mere Haathon Mein - Chandni
Mitwa - Chandni
Lamhe (1991) is another one of her classic films. She plays a double role in this film opposite Anil Kapoor.
Megha Re Megha - Lamhe
One personal favorite Sridevi film of mine is Khuda Gawah (1992). Set in Afghanistan, Sridevi plays an Afghan warrior Benazir and also the role of Mehendi. Amitabh Bachchan was her co-star in this.
Tu Na Ja Mere Badshah - Khuda Gawah
She would make many more films in the 90s in various film industries in India and solidified her legendary status in Indian cinema.
In 1996, she married film producer, Boney Kapoor, who is the brother of Anil Kapoor. She had her first child, a daughter, Jhanvi in 1997. Her second child, also a daughter, Khushi, was born in 2000. Sridevi took a long break from films after 1997 to raise her children.
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Sridevi with her daughters
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A more recent picture of her with her daughters and husband
During her break, she still made several TV appearances. In 2012, she made a comeback in the hit Bollywood film, English Vinglish. She played the role of Shashi, a traditional housewife who enrolls in an English-speaking course after being tired of berated by her husband, daughter, and peers for not knowing how to speak the language. Sridevi received universal acclaim for this heart warming role and it is considered one of her best.
She had a starring role in the Tamil film, Puli (2015), where she played Queen Yavanarani.
Her final role would be in the thriller, Mom (2017). She played Devki, a woman who avenges her daughter, Arya. Pakistani actress, Sajal Ali, played Arya in this film and she lost her mother in real life while shooting this movie. She formed a close relationship with Sridevi during this time and she considered to be like a second mother to her.
O Sona Tere Liye - Mom
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RIP jaan
