Sridevi

Shree Amma Yanger Ayyappan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), professionally credited with her stage name Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Female Superstar" of Indian cinema, she was the recipient of various accolades, including the National Film Award, the Nandi Award, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award, the Kerala State Film Award, four Filmfare Awards, including a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and three Filmfare Awards South. Sridevi's career in Indian cinema spanned over 50 years in a range of genres from slapstick comedy to epic dramas. She was known for her reticent and introverted personality, but headstrong and outspoken screen persona, regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. In 2013, Sridevi was honoured with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour. She was also voted 'India's Greatest Actress in 100 Years' in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted in 2013 on the occasion of the centenary of Indian cinema.

Sridevi made her debut as a child in the 1967 Tamil film ''Kandhan Karunai'' at the age of four, and started her acting career in lead roles as a child in M. A. Thirumugam’s 1969 mythological Tamil film ''Thunaivan''. She continued to act as a child artist in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She made her Hindi film debut at the age of nine in '' Rani Mera Naam'' (1972). Her first role as a teen-adult came in 1976 at age 13, when she was cast in the Tamil film ''Moondru Mudichu''. She quickly established herself as one of the prominent and leading female stars of South Indian Cinema, with roles in ''16 Vayathinile'' (1977), '' Thulavarsham'' (1976), '' Angeekaaram'' (1977), ''Sigappu Rojakkal'' (1978), ''Padaharella Vayasu'' (1978), ''Vetagaadu'' (1979), ''Varumayin Niram Sivappu'' (1980), ''Meendum Kokila'' (1981), '' Premabhishekam'' (1981), ''Vazhvey Maayam'' (1982), ''Moondram Pirai'' (1982), ''Aakhari Poratam'' (1988), '' Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'' (1990) and ''Kshana Kshanam'' (1991).

Following a notable appearance in the romantic drama '' Julie'' (1975), Sridevi's first starring role in Hindi cinema came with the drama film '' Solva Sawan'' (1979), and she received wider recognition for the action film '' Himmatwala'' (1983). She established herself in the industry with a string of successful films, including ''Mawaali'' (1983), ''Justice Chaudhury'' (1983), ''Tohfa'' (1984), ''Naya Kadam'' (1984), ''Maqsad'' (1984), ''Masterji'' (1985), ''Karma'' (1986), '' Nazrana'' (1987), '' Watan Ke Rakhwale'' (1987), '' Mr. India'' (1987), '' Waqt Ki Awaz'' (1988) and '' Chandni'' (1989). She received high praise for her performances in films, including ''Sadma'' (1983), ''Nagina'' (1986), ''ChaalBaaz'' (1989), ''Lamhe'' (1991), ''Khuda Gawah'' (1992), '' Gumrah'' (1993), '' Laadla'' (1994), and '' Judaai'' (1997). Following the role of the titular protagonist in the television sitcom ''Malini Iyer'' (2004–2005), Sridevi returned to film acting with the highly successful comedy-drama ''English Vinglish'' (2012) and then starred in her 300th and final film role in the psychological thriller '' Mom'' (2017). She earned widespread critical acclaim for her performances in both films, and for the latter was posthumously awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress.

On 24 February 2018, she was found dead of an accidental drowning in her guest room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. News of her death featured prominently in Indian and international media. She was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had two children, including actress Janhvi Kapoor.

Life and career

1963–1975: Early years and work

Sridevi was born at Meenampatti village near Sivakasi of present-day Tamil Nadu, India on 13 August 1963 to Ayyapan and Rajeswari. Her father was a lawyer from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu while her mother was from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Sridevi's mother tongue was Tamil, and she was fluent in Telugu. She has a sister and two step-brothers.

Sridevi started her career as a child actor at the age of four in the Tamil movie ''Kandhan Karunai'' in 1967. Subsequently, she played the role of young Muruga in ''Thunaivan''. Sridevi made her debut in Telugu cinema as a child artist with the 1970 film ''Maa Nanna Nirdoshi''. Baby Sridevi's performance in ''Poompatta'' (1971) in Malayalam won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. ''Kandhan Karunai'' (1967), ''Nam Naadu'' (1969), ''Prarthanai'' (1970), ''Babu'' (1971), '' Badi Panthulu'' (1972), '' Bala Bharatam'' (1972), ''Vasantha Maaligai'' (1972) and '' Bhakta Kumbara'' (1974) are the most notable films of her career as a child artist. In 1972, Sridevi debuted as a child artist in Bollywood with '' Rani Mera Naam'' directed by K. S. R. Das. She also appeared in the film '' Julie'', where she played the younger sister to the protagonist Lakshmi. She acted with Jayalalitha in Thirumangalyam, Kandan Karunai and Adi Parashakti.

1976–1986: Leading roles and success

In 1976, Sridevi landed her first leading role in the Tamil film ''Moondru Mudichu'' directed by K. Balachander. She followed it with a number of films with Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. Sridevi's first release of 1977 was ''Gaayathri'', followed by '' Kavikkuyil'' and ''16 Vayathinile'', where she played the role of a young girl who is caught between her 2 lovers. She also starred in the film's Telugu remake ''Padaharella Vayasu'' in 1978. Her subsequent notable films included Bharathi Raja's ''Sigappu Rojakkal'', S. P. Muthuraman's ''Priya'', '' Karthika Deepam'', ''Johnny'', ''Varumayin Niram Sivappu'' and ''Aakali Rajyam''. She acted with N. T. Rama Rao in ''Vetagaadu'', ''Sardar Papa Rayudu'', ''Bobbili Puli'', ''Justice Chowdhary'' and '' Aatagadu''. She acted alongside Sivaji Ganesan in ''Sandhippu'', ''Kavari Maan'' and the Sri Lanka-filmed coproduction '' Pilot Premnath''.

Sridevi debuted as child artist in Kannada with '' Bhakta Kumbara'' (1974) directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. Her other films as a child artist in Kannada included '' Bala Bharatam'' and ''Yashoda Krishna''. She was also a part of ''Hennu Samsarada Kannu'' (1975), directed by A.V. Sheshagiri Rao. Sridevi also acted as lead opposite Ambarish in ''Priya'' (1978), produced by S. P. Muthuraman. She entered Malayalam films as a child actor with ''Kumara Sambhavam'' in 1969, followed by I. V. Sasi's ''Abhinandanam''. Her notable Malayalam films as the lead heroine were '' Thulavarsham'', directed by N. Sankaran Nair in 1976, and M. Masthan's '' Kuttavum Shikshayum'', a remake of the Tamil film ''Pennai Nambungal'' with Kamal Haasan starring opposite her.

She next appeared in the Malayalam releases like '' Aa Nimisham'', '' Angeekaaram'' and '' Satyavan Savithri'' directed by P.G. Viswambharan. In 1981, she starred in the Tamil film ''Meendum Kokila'' which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil. In 1982, Sridevi starred in ''Moondram Pirai'' playing a woman suffering from retrograde amnesia and went on to win the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. She was paired with Kamal Haasan in 27 films across languages.

Sridevi's notable films in Telugu include '' Konda Veeti Simham'', ''Kshana Kshanam'', ''Vetagaadu'', '' Sardar Paparayudu'' and ''Bobbili Puli''. With Akkineni Nageswara Rao, she appeared in movies such as ''Muddula Koduku'', '' Premabhishekham'', '' Bangaru Kanuka'' and ''Prema Kanuka'' as well as with Krishna in ''Kanchu Kagada'', '' Kalavari Samsaram'', '' Adavi Simhalu'', ''Krishnavatharam'', ''Burripalem Bolludu'', ''Vajrayudham'', ''Gharana Donga'', '' Kirayi Kotigadu'', ''Pachani Kapuram'', ''Makutam Leni Maharaju'', ''Ramarajyamlo Bheemaraju'', ''Jayam manade'', ''Samajaniki sawal'', ''Mama Allulla Sawal'', '' Ram Robert Rahim'' and ''Khaidi Rudrayya''. She acted with Chiranjeevi in '' Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari'', '' S. P. Parasuram''. Her performance in the 1992 Ram Gopal Varma directed ''Kshana Kshanam'' opposite Venkatesh, won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and the Nandi Award for Best Actress. She acted in highest number of Telugu movies with Telugu superstar Krishna.

Sridevi made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in '' Solva Sawan'' in 1979. 4 years later, she was signed to star opposite Jeetendra in '' Himmatwala'' (remake of Telugu film '' Ooruki Monagadu'' (1981)). The film released in 1983, and was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. It established Sridevi in Bollywood. Her dance number "Nainon Mein Sapna" became a rage with ''Rediff'' stating that "the water pots may have dominated most frames in 'Nainon Mein Sapna', but it was Sridevi's bejewelled outfits and headgears that stole the show". She followed with ''Tohfa'', which was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1984. The film established Sridevi as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood, with '' Filmfare'' magazine declaring her "Unquestionably #1" on their cover.

The pair of Jeetendra-Sridevi did 16 films together of which '' Himmatwala'' (1983), '' Jaani Dost'' (1983), '' Justice Chaudhry'' (1983), ''Mawaali'' (1983), ''Akalmand'' (1984), ''Tohfa'' (1984), '' Balidaan'' (1985), '' Aulad'' (1987), '' Suhaagan'' (1986), ''Ghar Sansar'' (1986), ''Dharm Adhikari'' (1986), ''Sone Pe Suhaaga'' (1988) were successful, and ''Aag Aur Shola'' (1986), '' Himmat Aur Mehanat'' (1987), ''Sarfarosh'' (1985) were flops.

However, it was ''Sadma'' (1983) which brought Sridevi widespread critical acclaim. A remake of her Tamil film ''Moondram Pirai'', ''Sadma'' is included in ''iDiva'''s list of '10 Must Watch Movies That Weren't Blockbusters'. Sridevi's performance as a child-woman suffering from amnesia was called by ''Indian Express'' "a milestone in her illustrious career". Sridevi also featured in the ''Mid-Day'''s list of 'Challenging Roles played by Bollywood Actors' describing her act in the film as "her best performance ever". In 2012, Adil Hussain, Sridevi's co-star in ''English Vinglish'' revealed that he became a fan of the actress after watching her in ''Sadma''. The Sridevi-Kamal Hassan pair also appeared on the ''CNN-IBN'' 2012 list of 'Greatest Romantic Couples on Celluloid'. The film earned Sridevi her first Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.

She also acted with Akkineni Nageswara Rao's son Nagarjuna in ''Aakhari Porattam'' (1988), ''Khuda Gawah'' (1992) and '' Govinda Govinda'' (1993). She has also played the female lead to both Dharmendra and his son Sunny Deol.

Sridevi had successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna in films such as ''Naya Kadam'' (1984), ''Maqsad'' (1984), ''Masterji'' (1985) and '' Nazrana'' (1987). In 1986, came the snake fantasy ''Nagina'' which saw Sridevi play a shape-shifting woman. The film turned out to be the second highest-grossing film of the year, with ''Box Office India'' stating that Sridevi remained "the undisputed #1". It was also named one of the best snake fantasy films by ''Yahoo''. ''Times of India'' ranked ''Nagina'' as one of the 'Top 10 Snake Films of Hindi Cinema'. Sridevi's climax dance number "Main Teri Dushman" also remains one of the best snake dances in Bollywood, with ''Desi Hits'' calling it "one of Sridevi's most iconic dance numbers... that still gives fans goose bumps" and ''iDiva'' describing it as "the stuff of movie legends". Besides ''Nagina'', 1986 also saw Sridevi giving box-office hits in Subhash Ghai's multi-starrer ''Karma'' and Feroz Khan's ''Janbaaz''. According to ''CNN-IBN'''s Bollywood Blockbusters, "Sridevi's popularity grew so much that despite having a guest appearance in ''Janbaaz'', she completely overshadowed the film's lead heroine Dimple Kapadia."

1987–1997: Superstardom, later films and hiatus

Sridevi followed the success of ''Nagina'' by playing a goofy crime journalist in the science fiction film '' Mr. India'' (1987) opposite Anil Kapoor, which was described by ''Rediff'' as "one of the most iconic films of its time". Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it became one of the highest grossing hits of the year and also found a place in ''Hindustan Times'' list of 'Top 10 Patriotic Films of Hindi Cinema'. While the trade famously joked that the film should have been named ''Ms. India'', ''Rediff'' also stated that "Sridevi was a complete show-stealer in the film". Sridevi's imitation of Charlie Chaplin in the film was described by ''The Times of India'' as "the most hilarious act she has ever done". ''Rediff'' also featured Sridevi in its list of 'Super 6 Comic Heroines' stating that "her mobile face expressions could give Jim Carrey sleepless nights" and that "her biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera".

The dance number ''Hawaa Hawaai'', cited by ''The'' ''Times of India'' as "one of the unforgettable numbers of Sridevi", also became a popular nickname for the actress. Besides comedy, Sridevi featured in the video for the song ''Kaate Nahin Kat Te''; '' Filmfare'' described Sridevi as "truly a goddess in a blue sari". ''Rediff'' also featured the song in its list of 'Top 25 Sari Moments' praising Sridevi's "ability to look erotic even when she's covered from head-to-toe". ''Box Office India'' states that with the success of ''Mr. India'', Sridevi "continued her domination" over her contemporaries Jaya Prada and Meenakshi Sheshadri.

1989 saw the release of the Yash Chopra's romantic musical saga '' Chandni'', with Sridevi playing the title role. The film emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 1989. Cited by ''The Times of India'' as "one of the most watched films of Indian cinema", the film also reaffirmed Sridevi's position as the top female star of the 1980s. While she topped the ''Hindustan Times'' list of Yash Chopra's 'Top 5 Heroines', ''CNN-IBN'' also ranked her first on a similar list, saying "Yash Chopra immortalized Sridevi as the perfect Chandni". ''India Today'' and ''NDTV'' also included her in such lists, stating that the film established Sridevi "as the nation's sweetheart". ''The Tribune'' wrote: "Leena Daru scored a winner again when she created the 'Chandni Look' for Sridevi. Every street corner sold the salwar-kameez and dupatta that gave the heroine a refreshingly understated look, rarely seen on the Indian screen", Sridevi's dance number "Mere Haathon Mein Nau Nau Choodiyaan" proved also popular with audiences, and she also lent her voice to the film's popular title-track.

The same year, Sridevi also starred in ''ChaalBaaz'', which had her play a double role of twin sisters separated at birth. ''Filmfare'' ranked her performance #4 in its list of '80 Iconic Performances of Hindi Cinema', stating that "Sridevi's penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful when required polishes these performances to perfection. Hell, she made Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth look like sidekicks in the film". ''The'' ''Times of India'' article 'Bollywood's Hit Double Roles' wrote, "Sridevi's performance had rocked the box office". ''Rediff'' featured the film in its countdown of "25 Best Double Roles in Bollywood" saying "What you don't realise until you have seen ''Chaalbaaz'' is just how incredible Sridevi is at depicting both ends of the spectrum", and that the film "cemented her position as an actress with a killer comic timing". Speaking to ''The Indian Express'' about Sridevi's act in ''ChaalBaaz'', the director Pankaj Parashar said "She proved her range with the movie and after that she got lots of offers which saw her in a double role". Her slapstick rain dance "Na Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai" became successful with ''The Times of India'' describing it as "a Sridevi classic where she simply looked wow with her chirpy expressions and rain drops kissing her cheeks." Sridevi garnered Best Actress nominations at Filmfare for both ''Chandni'' and ''ChaalBaaz'' in 1989, winning for the latter.

Chopra then cast Sridevi in his 1991 intergenerational musical romantic drama ''Lamhe''. ''The Times of India'' included it in its list of 'Top 10 Films of Yash Chopra' describing it as a tale of "love transcending the boundaries of time and space" while ''Rediff'' called it "Quite easily one of his most definitive films, Chopra surpassed his own findings of romance with the insightful, lovely ''Lamhe.''" Sridevi played both the roles of mother and daughter in what ''iDiva'' described as "another double role but it was unlike any played before." Hailed by ''Rediff'' as "one of the most remarkable films of her career... often considered a film way ahead of its time", Sridevi's folk dance number 'Morni Baga Ma' also became a rage and was placed among the 'Top 5 Songs' of Yash Chopra by ''Hindustan Times''. ''Lamhe'' was an underwhelming success at the box-office, but received widespread critical acclaim and has become a cult classic over the years. Talking about the film, critic Rachel Dwyer wrote in her biography of the film-maker "Chopra's own favourite film, ''Lamhe'' (''Moments'' (1991)), divided the audience on a class basis: it was hugely popular with metropolitan elites and the overseas market, which allowed it to break even, but it had a poor box-office response (largely lower-class, especially the repeat audience) because of its supposed incest theme". ''The Hindu'' reported that "With shades of incest, ''Lamhe'' caused more than a flutter and remained the talk of the town", while Sridevi herself admitted in an interview with Rajeev Masand that she found the subject "too bold". Though the film flopped at the box-office, with ''Rediff'' describing its failure as "one of those bizarre, unexplained moments of cinema", ''Lamhe'' picked up 5 Filmfare trophies including Best Film and a second Best Actress trophy for Sridevi. Her popular Rajasthani costumes in the film also won designer Neeta Lulla her first National Film Award for Best Costume Design.

In 1992, Sridevi starred in the epic drama ''Khuda Gawah'' opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The actress played a double role again as an Afghan warrior Benazir and her daughter Mehndi. Shot mostly in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, it did good business with ''BBC
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