Sridevi: A woman who lived, loved, and acted on her own terms

Well, to be honest or #TBH as they say in millennial-speak, my love and liking for Sridevi mostly oscillated, and sometimes fluctuated. And the first time I saw her, in Balu Mahendru's 'Sadma', I was distraught. Too young to be able to distinguish between reality and fiction, I mistook it for real. And my mother says that my 4-yr-old-something self cried copious amounts of tears. It w as only years later that I watched her Tamil epic film, 'Meendum Kokila', that had won her a National Award, and realised that she was born to act.

And that natural flair showed in all that she did. From letting the coloured pots outdo her in the Lata-Kishore superhit number, "Naino mein sapna" in Himmatwala to matching Mithun's iconic steps and thrust, and bling quotient in 'Guru' and 'Himmatwala'. From sharing romantic space on screen with that time bankable star Jeetendra in 16 films, and making sure that 11 of them were super-duper hits to not getting cowered by the Big B in 'Aakhree Raasta' or 'Khuda Gawah' where she had powerful roles.

And it was not just Jeetendra who was her lucky charm. 'Nagina' released in 1986 proved that Sridevi had snake-danced, literally, her way to the hearts of millions. And what a stupendous hit it turned out to be!




And then came Shekhar Kapur's 'Mr India' with Anil Kapoor which was the start of a long friendship and working relationship. It was 'Mr India' that elevated her from the ridiculous 'headgear and snake-dance girl' status to a higher standing. And she had stormed the Bollywood bastion, on her own, leaving contemporaries and competitors Jaya Prada and Meenakshi Sheshadri way behind.

In pic: Sridevi with her husband Boney Kapoor and daughters Jahnvi and Khushi Kapoor

Living by her own choices is what Sridevi did, proudly. If she didn't extend her film account with then hot star Mithun Chakravarty behind four films - her last pairing with Mithun was in 'Guru' in 1989 - she had her reasons. A rumoured, secret marriage and a messy aftermath ensured that Bollywood never saw the two of them together in the 90s any more.



But that wasn't her loss to be, at least not in the movies she chose. Her magic and comic timing on screen ensured that Sunny Deol and Rajikanth remained mere afterthoughts in Pankaj Prahser's runaway hit, 'Chaalbaaz'. Veteran director Yash Chopra helped her consolidate the numero uno spot with 'Chandni', giving newcomer Madhuri Dixit, fresh off the success of 'Tezaab', a run for her newfound glory. Sridevi looked ethereal in white chiffon, a trademark Yash Chopra touch, and most of India swooned over.

But Sridevi also stumbled in the 1990s, with Boney Kapoor's home production, 'Roop Ki Rani, Choron Ka Raja' turning out to be a dud at the box office. She herself had pumped in funds into the production which at the time was the most expensive film ever made. And while Boney Kapoor lost his money, he would later go on to win a lover and partner in Sridevi for life.

The mid-90s saw her hold her ground in family dramas, 'Laadla' and 'Judaai'. And in both outings, she was pitted against Anil Kapoor who was now family. Her ease in front of the camera and her emotive abilities were wired in her DNA. That's why her comeback Gauri Shinde's 'English Vinglish' in 2012, after an onscreen hiatus of 15 years, had the same effervescence and impish Sridevi charm.

And when Shinde's film clocked success at the box office, it once again, proved that Sridevi was good enough to lead, without much effort. From 1983, the date may have changed to 2012, but the force and charm remained intact, three decades on.

And that's what sets apart icons from the ordinary.