Sridevi

So you may have heard that there was a beautiful Bollywood actress called Sridevi that passed away on 24^th February 2018. She was only 54, and although the cause of her death created some minor speculations, this article is about celebrating her success and the impact that she had on many of us.

The devastation of Sridevi’s death runs deep in my heart, but I’m also filled with gratitude to have lived in the same lifetime as her, where I can witness her unique and magical legacy that she has left in this world. In my eyes, she is the definition of Indian beauty, just like she states in her famous song ‘Hawa Hawai’ from the movie Mr. India: ‘soorat hi maine aisi payi’ (I‘ve just been blessed with a face like this!). However, her success was not only based on her sex appeal, as she also performed various roles to perfection and had charisma and exquisiteness that no one could deny. She even spoke five languages and starred in around 300 movies.

So what was so special about her that made thousands of fans gather to mourn her death? How did she become the first female hero of Bollywood? The answer is simple—she had it all!

All of you that are fans and have grown up watching her movies, I am sure that you will agree with me that her presence on the big stage was extraordinary, and she very easily captivated us by her elegance and sophistication. For those of you who don’t know her, I urge you to sit down and be mesmerised by the masterpieces that I have recommended below and discover for yourself why she truly is exceptional and extremely rare, but first let me tell you why I love her!

From the same song mentioned previously, ‘Hawa Hawai’, she states, ‘bijli giraane main hoon aayi’ (I’ve come to strike lightning!). She really did create a new light by being the first actress to demand the same pay as her male peers in the Bollywood film industry. She shone in a variety of roles ranging from drama to comedy to action. During all of her performances, we experienced the pleasures of her emotive expressions on the canvas of her body, such as the twinkle in her eyes (with those very long lashes), a little wobble from those voluptuous and glossy lips, those big marble-like eyes that you could look into forever and easily get lost, trembling her hands and fingers when feeling shyness or fear (yet keeping her little fingers straight), her electrifying screams, her feminine laughter, and last but not least that sweet tone of voice that kept us all glued to our seats.

Her performances became forms of ladylikeness, liberty, and cheerfulness. She had a special way of displaying her emotions that is a beauty to behold, and her shy demeanour always reminds me of my own personal love memories. I can never get enough of her and always feel thrilled when admiring her magnificence. Whatever role she did, she fulfilled that with dedication, passion, and a touch of her very own style!

She is glorified as one of the best dancers to have ever hit the big screen, as she was able to pull off some of the most sensational dance sequences. I remember even hesitating to blink whilst watching her dance, as I didn’t want to miss any of her phenomenal dance moves. From the several roles that she performed, I think her most famous role was from the movie Nagina (Snake 1986), where she plays the role of Rajni, who can turn into a snake. She delivers a very powerful performance in the well-known song ‘Main Teri Dushman, Dushman Tu Mera’ (I am your enemy and you are mine). In the song, she is fighting with herself not to become a snake in front of her enemy, as she fears he will use her unique powers for his devious means. She swivels, spins, and pivots her body with fierce determination and conviction and shows off her bodily movements proudly and fearlessly. From this we can probably all gather that Sridevi was her own competition, and we knew that whatever roles lay ahead for her, we would be admiring her even more. You can enjoy the famous ‘Nagina’ song here, and I am sure you will be drawn to watch it several times as I have! For those who do not like or are fearful of snakes, you can still enjoy this song as there are no snake scenes in this video. The climax is also included in this link, so you can stop watching the video as soon as the song ends. You can also watch the song in HD here. 

Here are some of my all-time favourite Hindi movies of Sridevi. She portrayed these characters with her own charm and grace. These classic roles are recognised as some of her finest work, and she has also won awards for some of these performances.

Gumrah (Lost 1993) – she plays the role of a successful singer named Roshni who is in search for her father. She is on her way to Hong Kong to locate him, but upon arrival, she is accused of drug trafficking and is sent to jail. Within this portrayal, she delivers her eminent and electrifying screams whilst enduring some traumatic experiences.

Chaalbaaz (Trickster 1989) – she plays the double role of twin sisters that are separated at birth. Anju is an innocent girl who is badly treated by her uncle and lives a life of slavery, whereas Manju, her twin sister, portrays a ghetto girl with lots of swagger and attitude. She does one of her finest dance performances in this movie and, in my opinion, one of the most extraordinary dance scenes in the history of Bollywood. She dances a classical Indian dance called the ‘Tandav’ and performs it so amazingly that she makes me wonder how she managed to dance this well! You can view the famous Tandav dance scene here.

Sadma (Shock 1983) – she plays the role of a grown girl who gets amnesia and now believes she is a young child. Her innocence and cuteness in this movie is simply overwhelming.

Mr India (1987) – A full-on family entertainer! Sridevi plays a curious and bubbly journalist called Seema. She falls in love with a man who has a special gadget that can make anyone invisible. This also has that very popular and sexy song called ‘I Love You’ where she is wearing a plain blue sari, which no doubt increased her fan base.

Judai (Separation 1997) – Sridevi’s role in this movie is of a woman called Kajal. She is frustrated with her husband’s lack of income and her family’s insufficient lives and is keen on leading a rich life. Kajal is persuaded by Jhanvi (Urmila Matondkar) to get a divorce so that Jhanvi can marry her husband in exchange for money. She agrees to this arrangement but obviously regrets her decision later on. Sridevi delivers the stubborn, emotional, and saddened character of Kajal.

English Vinglish (2012) –  A very simple but positive homemaker/entrepreneur called Shashi is played by Sridevi. Her family often teases Shashi because she can’t speak or understand English as well as them. She visits New York for the first time for her niece’s wedding and discovers she really is in the city of dreams. She then goes on to finally learn English, becomes confident, and earns the respect of her family. Prior to this movie, the last film that she did was 15 years ago, which was Judai, yet she still delivered an everlasting performance as if she never even left the stage! You can view the trailer here. Trust me, this is an extremely feel- good movie that you do not want to miss.

Mom (2017) – This is probably one of the best crime thriller movies I have ever seen. Sridevi plays the role of Devaki. After her stepdaughter is raped and the culprits walk free, Devaki decides to take matters into her own hands and plans her own revenge on the culprits. Although this was Sridevi’s last movie, yet again she delivers an outstanding performance that once again proves she was born for acting! You can view the Mom trailer here. 

Some of her other famous roles are from movies such as Chandni (Moonlight 1989), Lamhe (Moments 1991), Heer Ranjha (Romeo and Juliet 1992), and Laadla (Dear One 1994), where she portrays a unique sense of classiness and poise. She performs another memorable dance scene to the backdrop of classical Indian music from the movie Chandni. You can view the classical dance scene here.

One of her noteworthy songs is from the movie Janbaaz (Adventurous 1986), which is ‘Har kisiko nahin milta yahan pyar zindagi mein, khush naseeb hai woh jinko hai mili yeh bahaar zindagi mein.’ This means that not everyone finds love in life, and those who do find love are lucky enough to experience this. I don’t think many people realise that life for some people isn’t as normal as we assume it to be. We don’t all have normal lives with loving family and loyal friends beside us, and it’s difficult finding someone to talk to when we’re going through some tough circumstances. It’s difficult knowing who to turn to, let alone finding the words to describe what you’re feeling. There’s always this fear of whether the other person will believe you, understand you, judge you, or even just stop talking to you. In other cases, it may be that we tell them something, but they simply don’t know how to respond. It can be so much easier to turn to something as simple and convenient as movies where you can witness a positive character. This makes you realise that you’re not the only one going through a tough time. This can encourage you to be strong and give you the right guidance.

A few years ago, the perfectionist Bollywood actor Aamir Khan (one of my most favourite actors) hosted a famous talk show called Satyamev Jayate (truth alone triumphs). There were a wide range of bold topics discussed, such as female foeticide, domestic violence, and child sex abuse. There was a man that appeared on the show and shared the horrific sex abuse that he endured for 18 years. He mentioned that there was one thing in particular that he did to deal with his circumstances in a positive manner, and that was watching Bollywood movies of his favourite actress, which was none other than Sridevi! Aamir was kind enough to surprise him by bringing Sridevi on the show as he got to meet his ultimate icon in person. He was blown away seeing Sridevi in real life and mentioned that he gained an enormous amount of strength and courage from her. You can view this emotional scene here where this man’s dream comes true as he meets his idol and ultimate inspiration.

It’s so easy to become quiet and isolate ourselves with our sorrows, but this man became strong from the act of watching and admiring his favourite actress, which empowered him and made it easier for him to face the world. I can only imagine that it must have been like climbing a mountain and fighting a battle that only he knew about. It’s as though Sridevi was a distant friend that was guiding him to deal with his horrific experiences. If there is any other way that I can describe Sridevi’s influence, it is that she truly was the Chandni (Moonlight) who shines ever so brightly in this dark world that we live in. She even encouraged us to shine bright just like her, if not brighter!

Although her death has been a major loss to the entertainment industry, it is no doubt a terrible time for her friends and family to accept her loss. We were all just captivated by her exceptional acting, beauty, and style. I can’t even begin to imagine how it would have felt to have seen all those qualities in person. None of her friends or family will be able to hug her, hold her hand, hear her voice, ask for guidance, or simply sit next to her. She shared her talent with the world and has left special memories for all of us, just like the famous title song from her movie Lamhe (Moments): ‘yeh lamhe, yeh pal hum barso yaad karenge’ which means ‘I’ll remember these moments for years’.

Even though her death has been a shock to us all that we are yet recovering from, I have decided to embrace Sridevi like never before and continue living a life that I am proud of. I want to continue living my life full of optimism and joy. Just like she says in her movie, English Vinglish, ‘nobody can help you better than yourself. In this big world, create your own small little world’.

To all those that have been touched and inspired by Sridevi and are suffering from her loss, I’m sure that you already know that she certainly was a legend, and legends never die. I can’t even say I miss her because we only miss something that is far away. She has left her remarkable characters and breathtaking scenes from her movies for all of us. I will continue to watch her movies for inspiration and might even try doing some of her dance moves when dealing with my own personal issues.

I’ve always been saying to all my beloved ones that tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. There is a saying of ‘you only live once’ but I actually believe ‘you die once, you live every day!’ Rather than doing the usual routine of work, home, eat, and sleep, open your eyes and realise that this world is yours and the possibilities are endless. I’ve always had comments stating I’m very bold and brave. The majority of this relates to when I decided to go working abroad twice by myself, as I spent 2 years working and travelling in America and Australia. This can also be when I hit the dance floor whenever I hear one of my favourite songs. I’ve even asked men that I fancy if they have a hairy chest! This has definitely made my life more fun and vibrant, but most importantly, I have become more confident and pleased that I am taking control of my life rather than wondering about ‘what if?’

Having so many male friends (who I often quote as Best Boyfriends because they just so happen to be exceptionally handsome), I asked them what they find most attractive in a woman, and I suspected this would be the usual response of a voluptuous/slim/long hair/smile, etc., but the first response that all my male friends said was ‘confidence’. That is exactly what Sridevi displayed in her movies, and that’s what attracted us to her. Embrace your individuality and be your own Roop Ki Rani (Queen of Beauty).

Don’t live a little; LIVE A LOT!