The legendary actress, Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963, in Meenampatti village in Tamil Nadu. She made her acting debut as a child actress at the age of 4 with M.A. Thirumugam’s mythological Tamil film, Thunaivan. The actress’ real name was Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan; however, she changed her name to Sridevi upon her debut in the industry. According to a national poll conducted by CNN-IBN in 2013, she was voted ‘India’s Greatest Actress in 100 Years’.
Sridevi was the first female superstar in the Indian film industry
Indian cinema has been graced by the presence of several queens stemming from different parts of the country. Some of the most iconic actresses of the film fraternity were Madhubala, Savitri, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Rekha. In today’s age, the legacy is carried forward by Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt, among others. However, if there’s one person whose achievement the industry would remember till the end of its existence, it would undoubtedly be Sridevi. It has been almost seven years since the actress’ demise, yet she continues to be one of Indian cinema’s most beloved actors.
Sridevi earned the respect of all her contemporaries with her phenomenal acting despite it being a male-dominated industry
Indian film industry used to be deeply patriarchal when Sridevi entered the industry. Despite the pre-existing hierarchical pyramid, she was still able to make a name for herself and earn the highest regard in the eyes of all her contemporaries. She was not only revered for her extraordinary acting skills but also for the grace and dignity she carried herself with.
Director, Pankaj Parashar recalled the respect Sridevi commanded in the industry
Director, Pankaj Parashar worked on two films with Sridevi. They worked together for the first time in 1989 on the film, ChaalBaaz, which earned the actress the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The duo got together once again for Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin in 2004. Pankaj recently reflected on his time with the actress and shared about his experiences with her. He shared an anecdote about the respect Sridevi commanded. He recalled that when Sridevi would enter the room, her presence alone would force the top male actors of the time to their feet. Pankaj was quoted saying:
“Himmatwala, Sadma, Tohfa, Mr India, and Nagina had all been released by then, and Sridevi was the reigning queen. I had once gone to discuss some scenes with her in Film City Studio, where she was shooting with various actors. It was lunchtime, and Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Ranjeet and Shakti Kapoor were sitting together and eating mutton biryani, which had come from Rishi’s home. Suddenly, all of them jumped to their feet. Sridevi had entered. It was almost like a top army general had walked in. The kind of respect she commanded without demanding it was incredible!”
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