Remembering Sridevi on her death anniversary: 5 iconic movies that helped ‘Chandini’ rule Bollywood

There’s no denying the fact that Sridevi was one of the finest and most popular stars in the Hindi film industry in the 80s and 90s. She emerged as the ‘Last Empress’ of the big screen due to her versatility as a performer, glamorous reel image and dancing skills. ‘Chandini’ held her own against established heroes, proving that she was an artiste par excellence. On Wednesday, as fans remember Sridevi on her death anniversary, here is a look at five films that bear testimony to her talent.

Khuda Gawah (1993)

Sridevi’s crackling chemistry with ‘Megastar’ Amitabh Bachchan was one of the biggest highlights of the classic. The star essayed the role of a ‘deserted’ wife and her feisty daughter, breathing life into both parts. She showcased her dancing skills in the Tu Mujhe Qubool song, adding a new dimension to the film.

Lamhe (1991)

Widely regarded as the finest film of ace director Yash Chopra’s career, Lamhe featured Sridevi in a double role and proved that she was an artiste par excellence. The actor’s scenes with Anil Kapoor were as intense as anything can be. The film found limited success in India as many felt its theme to be ‘too bold’ but soon attained cult status.

Chandini (1989)

The Yash Chopra-helmed movie revolved around the journey of a young woman while highlighting the impact of a tragedy on her life. The film featured Sridevi in the titular role and proved to be a gamechanger for the star as it saw her act alongside senior actors Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor. The romantic drama did well at the box office.

ChaalBaaz (1989)

The film was an adaptation of Hema Malini’s Seeta Aur Geetha and featured Sridevi in two distinct roles, the feisty Manju and the meek Anju. The actor did justice to both parts, consolidating her standing in the industry. ChaalBaaz had an impressive cast that included Sunny Deol, ‘Superstar’ Rajinikanth and Anupam Kher.

Sadma (1983)

Sadma, a remake of the Tamil movie Moondram Pirai, revolved around the journey of a young woman who develops retrograde amnesia following an accident. Sridevi essayed the role of the ‘child woman’ with effortless ease, letting her eyes do the talking. The film proved to a commercial failure upon release but soon attained cult status. Sadma was directed by Tamil filmmaker Balu Mahendra and had a strong cast that included Kamal Haasan and Gulshan Grover.