She was a great actress, a wonderful human being who charmed the world and tragically a mother, who could not fulfill her dream of watching her daughter’s debut film.
Today, we recall some of the best work of Sridevi, India’s first woman superstar, who played a key role in the history of Indian cinema. These are films that where she left her indelible mark with each role she played…
Himmatwala (1983)
Cast: Jeetendra, Sridevi, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Swaroop Sampat, Shakti Kapoor
Director: K Raghavendra Rao
A schoolteacher is forced to leave a village by a goon named Bandookwala (Amjad) after he sees a murder being committed. His wife brings up their son Ravi (Jeetendra) who becomes an engineer, swearing revenge.
His sister Padma is then forced to marry Munimji’s (Kader Khan) son Shakti after she gets pregnant. Shakti tortures Padma but Ravi is helpless. Bandookwala has a daughter Rekha (Sridevi) who is also insensitive and arrogant.
But Ravi tames her, finds his father and makes Bandookwala into a better human being. Sridevi sizzles in the song Naino Mein Sapna.
Tohfa (1984)
Cast: Jeetendra, Sridevi, Jaya Pradha, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan, Asrani
Director: K Raghavendra Rao
Two sisters, Lalitha (Sridevi) and Lalita (Jaya Pradha), are caught in a love triangle with Ram (Jeetendra). However, Lalita sacrifices her love by getting married to the evil man Kaamesh (Shakti) and disappears.
Lalita and Ram marry but they can’t have a child. Lalita reappears into their lives, now with a son born out of wedlock during her days with Ram. Ram is now torn between the love for his son and his wife Lalita.
However Lalita is now also having a child. There are misunderstandings galore before sibling love survives. Sridevi is awesome.
Nagina (1986)
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri, Prem Chopra,
Sushma Seth
Director: Harmesh Malhotra
Rajiv (Rishi Kapoor) is born to a wealthy family and his mother (Seth) wants him to marry the daughter of a Thakur. However, Rajiv falls in love with an orphan Rajni (Sridevi).
The mother relents after they get married. Bad news comes in the form of Bhairo Nath (Puri), a snake charmer, who says that Rajni is a snake. He reveals that Rajni has come in human form to seek revenge for the death of her spouse in her previous life.
Things get complicated before Rajni’s true intentions are revealed. The film has achieved cult status.
Lamhe (1991)
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher
Director: Yash Chopra
Viren (Kapoor) comes from London with his nanny Dai Sa (Waheeda) and is immediately fascinated by Pallavi (Sridevi) who is older than him. He falls in love but things don’t go his way. There is property dispute and Pallavi’s father dies after he loses the case.
Pallavi goes into isolation but later Viren realises that she loves another. Heartbroken he goes back to London. Years later, he meets Pooja, Pallavi’s daughter, and gets a shock as she looks exactly like her mother. She begins to love him but Viren has decided to marry his long-time girlfriend.
Will love triumph? The plot is complicated but well directed by Chopra. The relationships are handled well with Sridevi in top form and Waheeda turning the clock back and dancing to her old song Kanto Se Khick Ke Ye Aanchal.
Judaai (1997)
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar, Saeed Jaffrey, Paresh Rawal
Director: Raj Kanwar
Kajal (Sridevi) thinks of riches when she marries Raaj (Kapoor) an engineer but to her disappointment she find he is actually poor and principled. Kaajal resorts to lies and builds big dreams for herself.
She gets an opportunity to earn some money when Raaj’s boss’ daughter Jahanvi (Urmila) arrives. The latter is smitten by Raaj and this turns to love when he rescues her from rape.
Kajal, sensing a chance, says Jahanvi can have Raaj for two crore rupees. She readily divorces and moves on to make her dream of riches come true. But life isn’t as easy as that.
- Mogambo Khush Hua! - July 13, 2019
- Five Spoofs To Make Your Day - July 7, 2019
- Have You Seen These Aamir Khan Classics? - June 29, 2019
