Kolkata, Feb 26 (UNI) The demise of Bollywood ‘Chandni’, Sridevi, who strode the silver screen like a colossus spanning four decades in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films, plunged the Indian cinema industry into mourning.
Reacting to the sudden demise of his 1989 film 'Chandni' co-star Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor tweeted, "Henceforth no more Moonlit nights! Chandni gone forever.”
First female superstar of Bollywood film industry with a filmography of 300 movies in more than five Indian languages, the iconic 'Chandni of hearts' was known for her unique facial expressions, beautiful eyes and of course her comic timing. She had the unique ability to make the audience laugh and cry, at the same time while giving an emotional performance
She was unafraid of experimenting with hair style, styling as well as colour of her eyes to portray her characters much before it became fashionable to do so.
The queen of Bollywood held her own as a leading lady, a box office magnet from the 1970s to late 1990s.
Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayappan in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu on August 13, 1963, Sridevi began her career at the age of four in the devotional film Thunaivan.
Among her acclaimed films as a child were Poompatta (1971) and Kandan Karunai (1967).......
Sridevi’s first appearance in a Hindi movie was in Julie (1975), starring the southern star Lakshmi. Sridevi played Julie’s younger sister Irene in the film. She played her first adult role at the age of 13 in the Tamil film 'Moondru Mudichu'.
The versatile actor made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with 'Solva Sawan'. But it was only after five years with Jeetendra-starrer 'Himmatwala' that she gained commercial success.
The Bollywood icon was loved by millions for her roles in iconic movies like "Sadma", ‘Nagina’, "Lamhe" "Mr India", "Chandni", "Himmatwala", Mawaali, Tohfa, ChaalBaaz, Khuda Gawah and ‘Gumrah’
Legendary actor grew up to be known for not just her ability for slip into myriad roles – whether the double role in ChaalBaaz, as a woman with retrograde amnesia in Sadma, a shape-shifting woman in Nagina, a goofy crime journalist in Mr India, the warm mother act in English Vinglish or the fierce and revengeful mom in Mom – but also for her expressive eyes, sheer comic timing and her fluid dancing skills, all of which made her a director's delight.
From Kamal Haasan to Rajinikanth to Anil Kapoor to Rishi Kapoor, the actress managed to shine bright with her stellar performances,
Director of film Mr India Shekhar Kapur said "with Sridevi gone, an era is over".
"Like life turning a new chapter. A beautiful story just ended. An amazing spirit just vanished leaving us with amazing love, memories, and incredible grief," he tweeted.
In Shekhar Kapur’s 'Mr India', she turned out a superlative performance as a reporter who falls in love with a vigilante who has the power to turn himself invisible. The role encompassed Sridevi’s flair for drama, comedy (she imitates Charlie Chaplin in a sequence), dance and sensuality. The Hindi movie trade called it “Miss India.”
After establishing herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema, she left the industry in 1997 for 15 years after starring in home production "Judaai", co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar.
It was director Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish" in 2012 that marked Sridevi's comeback. Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.
She also appeared in a forgettable role in the Tamil film 'Puli' in 2015, but returned with a bang in director Ravi Udyawar’s 'Mom' in 2017, opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna.
"Since God cannot be everywhere, He created Mother", the dialogue in the film 'Mom' aptly reflects the aura created by veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi, who gives one of her finest performances in the film in the title role.
'MOM', Sridevi 's 300th film in Bollywood which also marks her 50th anniversary in the industry, tells a powerful, hard-hitting story inspired by the reality of Indian society and stands as an inspiration for its women
Sridevi surprises the audience with her performance as "MOM," playing the role to perfection. Sridevi impresses viewers again with her perfect act as a mother, who takes revenge for her daughter's dreadful menace. She manages to maintain an irresistible mystique around herself, like she did earlier with her dazzling acts.
The Sadma girl also shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, "Zero", which releases in December next.
In 1996, Sridevi married Boney Kapoor, a film producer who is also the elder brother of actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor. They have two daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi. Jahnvi is set to make her debut soon with a film titled 'Dhadak' .
Sridevi was nominated for 10 Filmfare Awards and won five. The central government awarded her Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.
UNI BM SJC