Sridevi

This article is about the actress. For the Hindu goddess, click here.

Sridevi
Born	August 13, 1963 Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Actress

Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963 in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu) is an Indian actress. She was the most successful actress in commercial Indian cinema of the 1980s and the early '90s. After getting married to producer Boney Kapoor, she has stopped acting in films since 1997. Currently, she can be seen in various advertisement campaigns on Indian television.

Biography

She started her career as a child artist in South Indian regional films and after appearances in 200 movies, she was asked to star as a heroine at the age of 13. She went on to become the top actress in all South Indian languages with memorable performances and block-busters.

The Sridevi - Kamal Haasan pairing is one of the most successful in South Indian cinema and she acted in 23 movies with him. In 1983, she moved on to Hindi films with Solva Saawan (co-star Amol Palekar). It failed at the boxoffice but her comeback, Himmatwala was successful. The same year, Sridevi did a remake of her own film Moondram Pirai in Hindi, with the same co-star Kamal Haasan. The film, Sadma, was produced by legendary film-maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and though it was not a huge commercial hit, her performance was critically acclaimed.

In the 1980s, she collaborated (according to IMDB) 19 times with Jeetendra.

She also worked in many films with Rajesh Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol and Rishi Kapoor. She starred with Amitabh Bachchan, in three films; Inquilaab (1984), Aakhri Raasta (1986) and Khuda Gawah (1992). Among actresses, she shared screen time with Jaya Pradha as well as other stars like Meenakshi Sheshadiri, Poonam Dhillon and Kimi Katkar.

She reached the pinnacle of her career with Yash Chopra's 'Lamhe', for which she won numerous acting awards including the Filmfare Award for Best actress in 1992 and International Academy's Best Actress award.

She is the only Indian actress to be approached by Steven Speilberg for a Hollywood film (which she turned down due to her workload in India). She left the industry soon after the release of Judaai to raise her two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.

After a six-year gap from filmdom, Sridevi returned to the small screen, briefly, in the Sahara sitcom Malini Iyer (2004-2005).

Until she did the bi-weekly tv show, Sridevi rarely appeared on television but made two major exceptions, on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai for Karisma Kapoor (2004) and as a judge in the TV show Kaboom (2005).

She is a member of the Board of Director at the Asian Academy of film and television. She was also a part of Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai. Currently, she can be seen in various advertisements for various household products.

Personal life

Sridevi is married to Film Producer Boney Kapoor since June 2 1996 and has two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi, both named after heroines in her husband's movies Judaai (1997) and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000). She lost her parents during the making of two pivotal films: her father, a lawyer, during the making of Lamhe and her mother during the making of Judaii. Though it is Hindu custom that the eldest son lights the funeral pyre, Sridevi did it for her mother's last rites. She has a sister, Srilata, with whom she was briefly estranged as her only sister disapproved of Sridevi's marriage to Kapoor.

Her brothers-in-laws are Sanjay Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, who played opposite her in various of her movies, and Sandeep Marwah. She also has a sister-in-law, Reena. Her father-in-law is film producer Surinder Kapoor.

Filmography

1. Agni Pareeksha 1970 2. Jaise Ko Taisa Jan 1 1973 3. Julie Apr 18 1975 4. Solwan Sawan May 4 1979 5. Himmatwala Feb 25 1983 6. Jaani Dost May 27 1983 7. Sadma Jul 8 1983 8. Justice Chaudhury Jul 15 1983 9. Mawaali Nov 4 1983 10. Kalaakar Dec 9 1983 11. Inquilaab Jan 27 1984 12. Tohfa Feb 3 1984 13. Akalmand May 4 1984 14. Maqsad May 4 1984 15. Jaag Utha Insan Jul 6 1984 16. Naya Kadam Oct 5 1984 17. Aakhri Sangram Dec 21 1984 18. Aaj Ka Dada 1985 19. Sarfarosh Mar 8 1985 20. Balidaan Apr 26 1985 21. Masterji Aug 30 1985 22. Jadu Nagri 1986 23. Sultanat Apr 4 1986 24. Dharam Adhikari Apr 11 1986 25. Suhaagan Apr 18 1986 26. Bhagwaan Dada Apr 25 1986 27. Aakhree Raasta Jun 6 1986 28. Janbaaz Jun 20 1986 29. Ghar Sansar Jul 11 1986 30. Karma Aug 8 1986 31. Nagina Nov 28 1986 32. Jawab Hum Denge Feb 6 1987 33. Nazrana Feb 6 1987 34. Majaal Apr 3 1987 35. Aulad Apr 17 1987 36. Mr. India May 29 1987 37. Watan Ke Rakhwale Aug 14 1987 38. Himmat Aur Mehanat Nov 27 1987 39. Zulm Ki Zanjeer Dec 4 1987 40. Dil Lagake Dekho 1988 41. Mera Farz 1988 42. Maut Ki Ladai 1988 43. Sherni (AKA Ghayal Sherni) May 13 1988 44. Ram Avtaar May 20 1988 45. Waqt Ki Awaaz Jul 1 1988 46. Sone Pe Suhaagan Aug 26 1988 47. Main Tera Dushman Feb 3 1989 48. Joshilay Feb 10 1989 49. Guru Feb 24 1989 50. Gair Kaanooni Mar 24 1989 51. Nigahen Aug 9 1989 52. Chandni Sep 15 1989 53. Chaalbaaz Dec 8 1989 54. Naaka Bandi May 4 1990 55. Garajna 1991 (Unreleased) 56. Pathar Ke Insan Jan 25 1991 57. Farishtay Feb 22 1991 58. Joomma Chumma In London May 10 1991 59. Aadmi Aur Apsara Sep 20 1991 60. Banjaran Nov 8 1991 61. Lamhe Nov 22 1991 62. Laila Manjnu 1992 63. Chor Ke Ghar Chorni Mar 06 1992 64. Khuda Gawah May 8 1992 65. Heer Ranjha Sep 4 1992 66. Aasman Se Gira Sep 4 1992 67. Roop KI Rani Choron Ka Raja Apr 16 1993 68. Gurudev Sep 3 1993 69. Gumrah Sep 24 1993 70. Chandramukhi Oct 22 1993 71. Hairaan 1993 72. Laadla Mar 25 1994 73. Chaand Ka Tukda Aug 19 1994 74. Army Jun 28 1996 75. Mr Bechara Aug 30 1996 76. Great Robbery 1996 77. Judaai Feb 28 1997 78. Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha Apr 11 1997 79. Mere Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin Jun 1 2006

Awards and Accolades

• 1981 FilmFare Award (South) for Tamil Film Meendum Kokila
• 1984 FilmFare Award Nomination for Sadma , lost to Shabana Azmi, Arth.
• 1990 Filmfare Award Nomination for Chandni
• 1990 Filmfare Best Actress Award for Chaalbaaz
• 1992 Filmfare Best Actress Award for Lamhe
• 1993 FilmFare Award For Telugu Film Kshana Kshnam
• 1993 Nandi Award For Telugu Film Kshana Kshnam
• 1993 Filmfare Award Nomination for Khuda Gawah
• 1994 Filmfare Award Nomination for Gumrah
• 1994 Giant Awards For Contribution to Hindi Cinema
• 1995 Filmfare Award Nomination for Laadla
• 1998 Filmfare Award Nomination for Judaai
• 1998 Screen Awards Nomination for Judaai
• 2003 MAMI Award for Excellent Contribution to Hindi Cinema
• 2005 Vamsee Art Theatres International's Lifetime Achievement Award

Trivia

• Sridevi did her own costumes for the film Heer Ranjha and was inspired from paintings from the bygone era.
• Sridevi stuck to a team of favourites; Saroj Khan as choreographer, Neeta Lulla and Manish Malhotra as designer, Rakesh Shreshta her favourite photographer, Mickey Contractor makeup artist.
• Sridevi was the second choice for her three acclaimed films: Nagina was Jaya Prada's rejection, Chandni was to be made with Rekha and Sadma with Dimple Kapadia.
• Sridevi's daughter Jhanvi's favourite actor is Hrithik Roshan, and actress Preity Zinta .
• Sridevi has worked with all the top stars of the 1970s (Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatruhan Singha), '80s (Rishi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor) and even '90s (Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan).
• Sridevi is a big fan of Shammi Kapoor and the dancing of Michael Jackson .
• Sridevi's favourite American actresses are Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. When MTV first launched in Mumbai, a VJ called Sri, "The Julia Roberts of Bollywood!" on the set of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja .
• Amitabh Bachchan presented the Best Actress award to Sridevi for the film Chaalbaaz. Nearly a decade later, Sridevi presented him the Best Actor award for the film Black.
• Sridevi's comeback film Shakti was put on hold when she realised she was pregnant with her second child and asked her favourite actress Kajol to step in. Kajol initially agreed but because of long outdoor shoots, she backed out. Karishma Kapoor stepped in afterwards.
• Sridevi worked with Hrithik Roshan in his first film; Hrithik was a child artist in Bhagwan Daada (dad Rakesh Roshan and Rajnikant starred).
• Sridevi refuses to name her favourite co-star but did acknowledge that Amitabh Bachchan was "the greatest".
• Sridevi is petrified of cats. She had to pose for the cover of Cine Blitz with one.
• Asha Bhosle and Kavita Krishnamurthy sang most of Sridevi's songs. Lata Mangeshkar sang all of Sri's ,ost popular songs. Sridevi herself sang in the superhit, albeit shrill, title song of Chandni, "Chandni o meri chandni' with singer Jolly Mukherjee.
• Though producer/director Yash Chopra worked with all the top actresses of India, in MOVIE magazine, he reportedly said, "Juhi and Madhuri are good. Sridevi's the best". MOVIE magazine, 1993.
• Sridevi never shied away from acting with younger co-stars including Deepak Malhotra (Lamhe), Arwind Swami (Deva Raagam) and Akshay Kumar (Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin). For photoshoots for Mumbai magazines, Sridevi even posed with Sunil Shetty, Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan (though they never worked together).

External links

• Sridevi at IMDb