Sridevi

Sridevi Kapoor (née Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan; 13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), known mononymously as Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "first female superstar" of Indian cinema, she was the recipient of various accolades, including a National Film Award, Seven Filmfare Awards (a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, Three Filmfare Awards, Three Filmfare Awards South), Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, a Kerala State Film Award, and a Nandi Award. Sridevi's career spanned over 50 years in a wide range of genres. She was known for her reticent and introverted off-screen personality, but headstrong and outspoken on-screen persona, often playing strong-willed women. In 2013, Sridevi was honoured with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour.

Sridevi made her debut as a child in the 1967 Tamil film Kandhan Karunai at the age of four, and began playing lead roles as a child in M. A. Thirumugam's 1969 mythological Tamil film Thunaivan. Her first role as an on-screen adult came in 1976 at age 13, in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu. She soon established herself as a leading female star of South Indian Cinema, with roles in such films as 16 Vayathinile (1977), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Padaharella Vayasu (1978), Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980), Meendum Kokila (1981), Premabhishekam (1981), Vazhvey Maayam (1982), Moondram Pirai (1982), Aakhari Poratam (1988), Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) and Kshana Kshanam (1991).

Sridevi's first starring role in Hindi cinema came with the drama film Solva Sawan (1979), and she received wider recognition for the action film Himmatwala (1983). She emerged a leading Hindi film star with several successes, including Mawaali (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Tohfa (1984), Maqsad (1984), Masterji (1985), Karma (1986), Mr. India (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Chandni (1989). She received praise for her performances in Sadma (1983), Nagina (1986), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Gumrah (1993), Laadla (1994), and Judaai (1997). Following a hiatus, she played the title role in the television sitcom Malini Iyer (2004–2005). Sridevi returned to film acting with the comedy-drama English Vinglish (2012) and had her 300th and final film role in the crime thriller Mom (2017). She earned acclaim for both performances, and for the latter was posthumously awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress.

On 24 February 2018, she was found dead in her guest room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the cause cited as accidental drowning. News of her death featured prominently in Indian and international media. She was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had two daughters, actresses Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor.

Life and career

1963–1975: Early years and work

Sridevi was born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan on 13 August 1963 in Meenampatti village near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India to Ayyapan and Rajeswari. Her father was a lawyer from Sivakasi while her mother was from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Sridevi's mother tongue was Telugu, and she was fluent in Tamil. She has a sister and two step-brothers.

"I lost out on going to school and college life, but I got into the film industry and worked without a gap – from child actor, I went straight to heroine. There was no time to think and I was grateful for it.

Sridevi started her career as a child actor at the age of four in the Tamil movie Kandhan Karunai in 1967. Subsequently, she played the role of young Muruga in Thunaivan, which was her first breakthrough as child artist. Actress Sowcar Janaki opined that her "sharp features, sparkling eyes and innocent smile would be more than a handful for the role." Sridevi made her debut in Telugu cinema as a child artist with the 1970 film Maa Nanna Nirdoshi. Baby Sridevi's performance in Poompatta (1971) in Malayalam won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. Kandhan Karunai (1967), Nam Naadu (1969), Prarthanai (1970), Babu (1971), Badi Panthulu (1972), Bala Bharatam (1972), Vasantha Maaligai (1972) and Bhakta Kumbara (1974) are the most notable films of her career as a child artist. In 1972, Sridevi debuted as a child artist in Bollywood with Rani Mera Naam directed by K. S. R. Das. She also appeared in the film Julie, where she played the younger sister to the protagonist Lakshmi. She acted with Jayalalithaa in Thirumangalyam, Kandan Karunai and Aathi Parasakthi.

1976–1982: Success in South India

Sridevi's lead roles in Telugu include Padaharella Vayasu, Konda Veeti Simham, Vetagaadu, Sardar Paparayudu and Bobbili Puli. With Akkineni Nageswara Rao, she appeared in movies such as Premabhishekham, Bangaru Kanuka and Prema Kanuka as well as with Krishna in Kalavari Samsaram, Adavi Simhalu, Gharana Donga, Kirayi Kotigadu, Pachani Kapuram, and Ram Robert Rahim. She acted with Chiranjeevi in Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, S. P. Parasuram. She acted with Nagarjuna in Aakhari Poratam (1988), and Govinda Govinda (1993). Her performance in the 1992 Ram Gopal Varma directed Kshana Kshanam won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and the Nandi Award for Best Actress. Sridevi has acted in a total of 95 Telugu language films.

In 1976, Sridevi landed her first leading role in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu directed by K. Balachander. She followed it with a number of films with Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. Sridevi's first release of 1977 was Gaayathri, followed by Kavikkuyil and 16 Vayathinile, where she played the role of a young girl who is caught between her 2 lovers. She also starred in the film's Telugu remake Padaharella Vayasu in 1978. Her subsequent notable films included Bharathi Raja's Sigappu Rojakkal, S. P. Muthuraman's Priya, Karthika Deepam, Johnny, Varumayin Niram Sivappu and Aakali Rajyam. She acted with N. T. Rama Rao in Vetagaadu, Sardar Papa Rayudu, Bobbili Puli, Justice Chowdhary and Aatagadu. She acted alongside Sivaji Ganesan in Sandhippu, Kavari Maan and the Sri Lanka-filmed coproduction Pilot Premnath.

Sridevi debuted as child artist in Kannada with Bhakta Kumbara (1974) directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. Her other films as a child artist in Kannada included Bala Bharatam and Yashoda Krishna. She was also a part of Hennu Samsarada Kannu (1975), directed by A. V. Seshagiri Rao. Sridevi also acted as lead opposite Ambareesh in Priya (1978), produced by S. P. Muthuraman. She entered Malayalam films as a child actor with Kumara Sambhavam in 1969, followed by I. V. Sasi's Abhinandanam. Her notable Malayalam films as the lead heroine were Thulavarsham, directed by N. Sankaran Nair in 1976, and M. Masthan's Kuttavum Shikshayum, a remake of the Tamil film Pennai Nambungal with Kamal Haasan starring opposite her.

She next appeared in the Malayalam releases like Aa Nimisham, Angeekaaram and Satyavan Savithri directed by P.G. Viswambharan. In 1981, she starred in the Tamil film Meendum Kokila which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil. In 1982, Sridevi starred in Moondram Pirai playing a woman suffering from retrograde amnesia and went on to win the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. She was paired with Kamal Haasan in 27 films across languages.

1983–1986: Hindi film debut and success

Sridevi made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in Solva Sawan in 1979. 4 years later, she was signed to star opposite Jeetendra in Himmatwala (remake of Telugu film Ooruki Monagadu (1981)). The film released in 1983, and was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. It established Sridevi in Bollywood. Her dance number "Nainon Mein Sapna" became a rage with Rediff stating that "the water pots may have dominated most frames in 'Nainon Mein Sapna', but it was Sridevi's bejewelled outfits and headgears that stole the show". She followed with Tohfa, which was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1984. The film established Sridevi as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood, with Filmfare magazine declaring her "Unquestionably #1" on their cover.

The pair of Jeetendra-Sridevi did 16 films together of which Himmatwala (1983), Jaani Dost (1983), Justice Chaudhry (1983), Mawaali (1983), Akalmand (1984), Tohfa (1984), Balidaan (1985), Aulad (1987), Suhaagan (1986), Ghar Sansar (1986), Dharm Adhikari (1986), Sone Pe Suhaaga (1988) were successful, and Aag Aur Shola (1986), Himmat Aur Mehanat (1987), Sarfarosh (1985) were flops.