Finesse, grace, and elegance - Sridevi was a powerhouse of talent with an enigmatic screen presence as she owned the power of establishing her potential on celluloid with invincible characters and memorable roles. At just four, Sridevi made her debut in the industry with the Tamil film Kandhan Karunai (1967) and continued to make rampant appearances in south films.
Almost twelve years later, Sridevi featured in her first Hindi film as a heroine in 1979's Solva Sawan and subsequently starred in blockbusters such as Nagina (1986), Mr India (1987) and Chandni (1989) - films that catapulted her to the status of 'Indian cinema's first female superstar'.
In a career spanning almost 50 years, Sridevi starred in over 300 films and was also the highest-paid actress during the eighties and nineties. Had she been alive, Sridevi would have been 55 today and to celebrate her birth anniversary, we collated a list of her films that you might not know about. Sadma, Lamhe or English Vinglish are her unforgettable projects but you might consider glancing through this piece for an insight into her lesser-known films.
Kalakar
1983 was remarkable for Sridevi as she turned into an overnight superstar with Himmatwala opposite Jeetendra. Apart from the K. Raghavendra Rao-directed film, Sridevi starred in five other films that released in the same year - including Kalakar. Sridevi's Radha Khanna belongs to an affluent family and her consequent romantic involvement with an aspiring singer (newcomer Kunal Goswami) in Kalakar formed the crux of the P. Sambasiva Rao film. Kalakar, however, wasn't received well by audiences but what was, were its songs, especially Neele Neele Ambar Par.
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Naya Kadam
Sridevi's impact, following her debut in the Hindi film industry, was immense as she appeared in more than three projects almost every year during the eighties. Among other releases in 1984, Sridevi featured in Naya Kadam, co-starring Rajesh Khanna, Padmini Kolhapure and Jaya Prada. Based on socially-relevant issues such as literacy and women's empowerment, Naya Kadam was a superhit while fans appraised Sridevi's role in it as well.
Aakhree Raasta
1984's Aakhree Raasta was primarily Amitabh Bachchan's film. It cast Big B in a double-role - David D'Costa sets out to avenge his wife's (Jaya Prada) death while Sridevi was cast as Vijay Sandaliya's girlfriend - Bachchan's other role. Aakhree Raasta was special to Sridevi since veteran actress Rekha dubbed for her in the film.
Gumrah
In 1993, Sridevi impressed fans with Gumrah, Mahesh Bhatt's crime drama co-starring Rahul Roy and Sanjay Dutt. In Gumrah, Sridevi's Roshni, an aspiring singer, establishes a successful career with the help of Rahul's character while both eventually end up in a romantic association. But it certainly isn't what meets the eye since Rahul has an underlying personality that Roshni ultimately discovers through her ardent fan Jaggu (Dutt). Gumrah is considered as one of Sridevi's best roles for which she also received a Filmfare nomination.
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Chandra Mukhi
After box-office hits such as Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Gumrah in 1993, Sridevi ended the year with Chandra Mukhi which tanked without a trace. Chandra Mukhi was Salman Khan's brainchild and cast Sridevi opposite him - a reason enough to excite fans. The fantasy film - set in a make-believe world of sorts - however, resulted in a box-office turkey since it couldn't meet the audience's expectations as such.
Some of the films from this piece certainly didn't make it to the hitlist but it's definitely worth a watch, especially if you are a Sridevi fan.
Sridevi died on February 24 in Dubai due to "accidental drowning" in the bathtub of her hotel room. She was 54. The veteran actress was in UAE to attend her husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor's nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding. She was cremated with state honours in Mumbai four days after her death.
Sridevi is survived by Boney Kapoor and their daughters - Janhvi and Khushi. She was last seen in 2017's MOM.
