Sridevi charmed a nation with her talent and ease of acting

Sridevi was a rarity — one of India’s few women superstars. And it wasn’t just charisma, Sridevi was possessed of a singular acting ability.

The innocence of '16 Vayathinile', screwball comedy and action in 'Mr India' and 'Chaalbaaz', mental illness in 'Moondram Pirai' (remade in Hindi as 'Sadma'), smouldering seductress in too many to mention, then aging gracefully in English Vinglish—she could pull it all off.

She was a constant and comforting screen presence in the 1970s and beyond—someone who could be depended upon on to give her best.


She started out in Tamil cinema, branched out into the southern languages and then moved to Bollywood, where she would meet her future husband on the sets of Mr India.

In 'Babu' (1971), one of his darker movies from the black-and-white era, Sivaji Ganesan spots a street urchin begging on the street.

He’s stricken with emotion and can’t hold back his tears.

Acting opposite the veteran actor, in the role of the beggar, was a little girl with matted hair, grime-darkened face and a pair of twinkling eyes shadowed by trouble.

“Why are you begging?” he asks, aghast.

“Hunger,” replies the 6-year-old Sridevi, eyes welling up and wearing in an expression that reflected her total commitment to the role—that remained the hallmark of her movie career.

Nearly half a century later, tributes and condolences poured in from around the world for the actor, who died at the age of 54 after reportedly suffering cardiac arrest in Dubai.

Even as a child actor, Sridevi, born in Meenampatti near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, showed abundant talent. People fawned over her cuteness and were amazed by her precocious performances in equal measure.

When she acted in '16 Vayathinile' (1977), she was just 14 but it marked her arrival as a heroine, playing a vulnerable teen who falls for the suave doctor visiting town. Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan also acted in the Bharathi Raja movie, displaying exceptional talent, but Sridevi as Mayilu was the standout.

Through the decades, Sridevi’s performances moved and thrilled audiences. In a seminal scene from 'Johnny' (1980), Sridevi weeps after a raggedly handsome Rajinikanth turns her down. Her reaction moves Rajinikanth to reciprocate in a scene made magical by Ilayaraja's evocative background score.

In all her films, including career defining ones in the south and in Bollywood, Sridevi worked with directors and writers who were changing the cinematic landscape with their craft. “Earlier, there was only one type of films: like the movies of Bhim Singh, which invariably fell under comedy or drama,” said film critic and author Baradwaj Rangan.

“In the 70s, Bharathi Raja, Mahendran and Balu Mahendra came with a wider variety of movies.” Her 1986 Bollywood hit 'Nagina' was the story of the typical avenging female. She carried the movie, unusual in a notoriously male-hero dominated industry. The buzz was “maybe Sridevi is enough for a movie, may be a hero is not needed,” Rangan said. 'Chandni' (1989), 'Chaalbaaz '(1989) and 'Lamhe' (1991) put the seal on her reputation as a superstar of Indian cinema.

She became known as a ‘Yash Chopra heroine’ and was also credited with helping to re-establish him after a fallow period.

In between came one of India’s best-loved movies 'Mr India' (1987), in which she starred opposite Anil Kapoor. It was produced by the actor’s brother Boney Kapoor, who would go on to marry Sridevi.

During her stint in Tamil cinema, she acted several times opposite Kamal Haasan. K Hariharan, an Ashoka University professor who has written an autobiography of Haasan, remembers the actor telling him: “Most of the films we worked in were of the ‘disturbing’ type, requiring a certain maturity on the audiences’ part,” he said, possibly referring to movies such as 'Sigappu Rojakkal' (1978) and 'Moondram Pirai' (1982). “And I found a perfect co-actor in her, balancing my characters’ anxieties, anger and sexuality. She could portray the right amount of vulnerability mixed with desires of a new women’s generation and a personal charisma added to it.”

Returning to the screen after many years, Sridevi moved audiences again with her sincere portrayal of a timid, homebound mother empowering herself in 'English Vinglish' (2012). Her last outing was that of a mother avenging her step-daughter in last year's movie 'Mom'. Sridevi acted in more than 300 movies across languages and was the mother of two daughters, one of whom is set to make her debut. She has a tremendous legacy to call upon.