Sridevi’s Journey from “Hawahawai Girl” to a “Vigilante Mother”

Sridevi’s Journey from “Hawahawai Girl” to a “Vigilante Mother”
Sridevi was an Indian actress and producer.
Sridevi’s Journey from “Hawahawai Girl” to a “Vigilante Mother”
Sridevi was an Indian actress and producer.

Today is Sridevi’s second death anniversary. Social media is buzzing with emotions remembering this talented and iconic actress. She was not only one of the most iconic actors of Bollywood, but Sridevi was also one of the most popular actors of the 1980s and 90s and thoroughly dominated the film industry in that era. The actor had worked in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films and with her grace, poise, and charm captivated an audience across an entire generation. Sridevi was perhaps one of the few actors who carved a niche for herself in a male-dominated industry. Though she acted in a number of award-winning films, here we are listing her top Bollywood movies that enthralled the audience.

Remembering Sridevi on her second death anniversary:

1. Mom

Mom, which was released in 2017, is a female-centric movie and the last film of Sridevi before her death. Sridevi perfectly essayed the role of a vigilante seeking revenge from the men who had raped her daughter. The movie was one of the biggest box-office hits of 2017 and Sridevi’s performance was lauded by the critics and public alike. The media bestowed accolades on the talented actress and the Times of India rated her performance high saying the actress “demonstrates why she is the high-priestess of Indian cinema”.

2. English Vinglish

Released in 2012, English Vinglish saw the return of Sridevi to the silver screen after a gap of 15 years.  The movie was a big hit not only for its strong storyline but for Sridevi’s awesome performance as well.  Sridevi portrayed with ease the role of a homemaker who is mocked by her husband and children for her poor English skills. To prove them wrong, she enrols in an English speaking course and with persistent hard work learns to speak impeccable English thereby winning everyone’s respect. Sridevi’s performance was hailed and she was even called the female Rajnikanth in Japan.

3. Judaai

This 1997 movie was Sridevi’s last before she went on a 15-year hiatus. Though the movie was criticized for its simple plot, nevertheless, the performance of Sridevi was highly praised. The movie, which was a remake of the 1994 Telugu film ‘Shubhalagnam’, was a commercial hit and Sridevi even received the Best Actress award at the 43rd Filmfare Awards.

4. Chandni

A 1989 hit, the film saw Sridevi playing with elan the role a woman caught between two men. The film witnessed packed houses with people flocking to cinema halls to watch Sridevi’s remarkable acting skills. Sridevi was lauded for her performance in the movie and was nominated for the Filmfare Award in the Best Actress category.

5. Mr India

An invisible man, Amrish Puri’s witty one-liners and, of course, Sridevi’s scintillating performance were reasons enough for Mr India become one of the biggest blockbusters of 1987. Sridevi superbly played the role of a reporter awestruck by the invisible man – Mr India. Though the focus of the movie was on the protagonist Anil Kapoor, Sridevi lighted up the screens with her scintillating performance, especially her Miss Hawa dance.

6. Nagina

Released in 1986 Nagina was the second highest-grossing film of the year. At a time when Bollywood was dominated by male-centric movies, this was one of the few films where the focus was on the female character. In the film, Sridevi essays the role of a Nagini, who sets out to seek revenge from an evil saint responsible for the death of her husband. One of the best movies of Sridevi, Nagina is a cult classic.

7. Khuda Gawah

Though it has been more than two decades since the release of Khuda Gawah, the songs and the performance of Sridevi are still fresh in people’s minds. The actress, who was paired alongside Bollywood’s leading star Amitabh Bachchan, received a lot of praise for her dual performance as an Afghan woman and her daughter. The movie was the second highest-grossing hit of 1992 and was later adapted into a Pakistani television serial by the same name.

8. Sadma

It would be a grave mistake to miss out Sadma(1983) from the list, as the movie saw Sridevi starring opposite Kamal Haasan, as a woman who suffered a severe head injury that causes Nehalata(played by Sridevi) to regress back to childhood, and she gets trapped in a brothel before Somu(played by Kamal Haasan) rescues her from the degenerating world of brothel. Sridevi’s performance saw her receive various accolades for her critically acclaimed performance in the movie.

These are just a few blockbusters of Sridevi. The actor has also been praised for her performances in ChaalBaaz, Sadma, Lamhe, Himmatwala, Laadla, and many others. As people in the will never forget Sridevi and her contribution to Indian cinema, although she is with us no more, she will forever be a part of millions of people, who were glued to the silver-screen every time the “Hawahawai Girl” came to enthralled the audience.

Sridevi’s versatility was pretty much evident from her initial days in the industry as the ever-charming and graceful actor made her way to Mumbai, with some superb performances in Tamil films that saw her rise to the prominence.

Related Link:

Sridevi Biography