Sridevi was not just an actor. She was and will continue to be an inspiration for generations of actors with her undying on-screen charisma and unparalleled acting talent. She led the industry for decades and ruled the hearts of countless fans and admirers through the ages. Her charm was such that it made her the show-stopper wherever she went. Her benign aura touched the hearts of millions around the world. On her birth-anniversary, we’d like to share 10 Reason Why Sridevi Was The Real Queen of Bollywood.
1. Because, Bollywood > Hollywood
At the peak of her career in Bollywood, Steven Spielberg approached Sridevi for a role in Jurassic Park. She had to decline due to her busy schedule much to the disappointment of the director and anticipating fans.
2. Sridevi was the real MVP
In 1976, Sridevi played the role of Rajinikanth’s stepmother in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu. She was barely 13 years old. In addition, she was paid more than the male-lead (Rajinikanth) for this role; a rare phenomenon, not only in the film industry but also in general.
3. So many titles – so many accolades
Sridevi was showered with the titles – ‘Bollywood’s First Female Superstar ‘and ‘Lady Bachchan’. She was the highest-paid Bollywood actor between 1985 and 1992. At her peak, she was the reason why most of those movies worked.
4. A career spanning 5 decades
Having gained the title of Bollywood’s first female superstar, Sridevi’s career saw an unparalleled and steady graph. With over 300 films under her belt, through nearly 5 decades Sridevi’s career had already become a sort of a legend in the industry.
5. Because Filmfares and IIFAs are too mainstream
In 2013, Sridevi was honoured with the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri from the Government of India. The then President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented her with the award at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
6. Languages were never a barrier for our Queen
Being fluent in Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, and later on in Hindi Sridevi’s career was full of successful films, which include countless superhits in the South Indian film industries. Sridevi and Kamal Hasan have appeared together in 27 films including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi.
7. A dedicated damsel, not in distress![]()
It is said that it was Sridevi’s dedication towards her work that led her to new zeniths of success. Despite having recorded a very high fever (103 degrees), she finished the shoot for the rain-dance song Na Jaane Kaha Se Aayi (Chaalbaaz) alongside Sunny Deol.
8. She started without her own voice
Sridevi climbed the stairs to stardom, as soon as she debuted in Bollywood. The funny thing was Sridevi did not dub her own dialogues. It is said that she was not very proficient in the language. Veteran actors Naaz and Rekha were the ones who dubbed for a lot of Sridevi’s films. She first dubbed her dialogues in 1989 for the film Chandni.
9. They did it before Raj and Simran made it cool
Through the 1980s and the 1990s, Sridevi and Anil Kapoor were one of the most loved on-screen couples (they were almost as big as Kajol and SRK). The two starred in 13 films together and delivered some of their best performances which include the likes of Mr India, Lamhe, Laadla, and Judaai.
10. “What’s in a name?” after all
Sridevi actually spelled her name as Sreedevi, and it was a typo on the dircetor’s part that her was spelt as Sridevi. But, being the cool-queen that she was, she never really bothered to have it corrected, because “What’s in a name?” after all. By the way her real name was Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan.
Miss Hawa Hawaii and her evergreen charm will be dearly missed by all of us. Her legacy will live on and undoubtedly resonate with the coming generations too. Shah Rukh Khan’s film, Zero (2018) will be Sridevi’s final on-screen appearance. The film is expected to hit the silver screens by the end of the year (expected release date 21st Dec). Let us know how much you miss the Queen in the comments section.
