Rishi Kapoor remembers Sridevi: We will miss her, no female star has achieved such glories
Rishi Kapoor remembers his Chandni co-actor Sridevi as a “shy person” who achieved a star status that “made her a superhero”.
bollywood Updated: Feb 25, 2018 19:52 IST
I didn’t work with Sridevi until 1984, when we first starred in Nagina. Initially, I thought she was a very shy person and arrogant, as she didn’t talk much. Later, I realised it was not arrogance but just that she was not comfortable speaking in English or Hindi, because they were not her main languages.
One of my very first conversations happened with her during a rather awkward moment. We were shooting and the camera’s film magazine ran out. While the crew was changing the magazine, the bright lights were still on for about three minutes and we stood in that position with the whole unit around us. I told her, “Sridevi, you danced very well.” She smiled and said, “thank you”. She then added that she saw Khel Khel Mein four times. That was very sweet of her. Those were the first words I heard from her during the making of Nagina.
Thereafter, the kind of confidence and star status she earned, she became a superhero. She was a complete actor, a fabulous dancer and a person who could just switch faces. She could be quiet and be in her own mood, and then suddenly do a great comic scenes or tragic one. She had that rare ability in her.
After the great success of Nagina, and she had also done Mr. India (1987), we got to work together in Yash Chopra’s film, Chandni (1989). By then, Sridevi had become very popular and was at the peak of her career. During Chandni, we became friendlier and got along well.
I often noticed that after every two, or may be three shots; she would remove her makeup, and do it again. I never understood the reason, but I think she always wanted to give her best, let her work to speak and also, look gorgeous. And it was not a mere touch-up, but removing makeup from her nose and cheeks and t
A scene from Mr India.
Sridevi (centre) with Pakistani actors Sajal Ali (left) and Adnan Siddiqui in a photo taken from movie 'Mom'.
A scene from blockbuster Chandni.
