Blog Archives - Sridevi: The Last Empress

Sridevi The Ultimate Diva

31/3/2015

There is no award in India that can justify Sridevi's talent or beauty. Many Sridevi fans are not taking these awards seriously. We have said it many times that Sridevi's biggest award is the immense love and respect she receives from her own fans. Last month Filmfare had created a new category awards called Filmfare Glamour And Style Awards. Not a big deal! Sridevi was given the ultimate diva award. Sridevi was the ultimate diva and still is with or without that award! She does not need a certificate for that. It is a well known fact that she rocks it when it comes to fashion, colors and glamour.
We have got this for you from the latest issue of Filmfare and this is what Filmfare wrote for Sri:
" Sridevi's style file has it all. She can work sarees, lehengas and Western ensembles with equal ease. You can put her in any color and she looks as radiant as neon. At 50, she can give any young star a run for their sartorial money. Her recent appearances in Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi and Missoni creations were flawless. Reams of fans continue to beg her to do more films. She is the truly the diva extraordinaire."

Yes we agree with all that. Well said this time! Sridevi looked radiant in black. She was nothing less than divine. Truly the Ultimate Diva.
You can find more pictures added to the gallery, all high quality and some are exclusive too ===> Events & Functions ====> 2015. Or click HERE

Remembering Khuda Gawah or God is My Witness

30/3/2015

Khuda Gawah or God is My Witness was released in 1992. The film was in development since 1988 when Sridevi stopped signing films with Amitabh Bachchan. At the time of signing the film both Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi were the No.1s in Bollywood. When the film was released they both were the No,1s too, so it was like clash of the titans. The biggest actor with the biggest actress of the country in a film back together! There was even that one poster that was made as India's No.1 actor Amitabh Bachchan with India's No.1 actress Sridevi in a film together!. Their pairing was something very unique. The whole industry was looking forward to it.

Everything about the film was lavish, the costumes, the sets, the story etc... Amitabh Bachchan was always in the film. Sridevi was not though. Her dual characters were to be played by Dimple Kapadia and a newcomer related to Saira Banu. The producers then wanted to bring a star who could draw audiences to the theatre specially after Amitabh's late 80s films did not do well at the box office. Amitabh Bachchan too was very keen to have Sridevi in the film. He jumped to the idea when the filmmakers suggested her name. But the problem was how would they approach Sridevi with one of the roles! which one should they offer her? She cannot be Dimple's daughter in the film. And the queen will not agree to do a role that has less footage and screen presence. The producers then decided to give Sridevi both the roles! That was one way they thought she would agree doing the film, specially after Dimple Kapdia asked for a price they did not want to pay. So they thought we will pay much more but will get a star who can draw audiences to the cinema.

Sridevi was given the script of the film and was told that she will be playing a double role. The Empress told the producers that she will read it and then give her answer. Of course she was the only actress who would ask this. Other actresses at that time would not even ask for the script if it is an Amitabh Bachchan film. Sridevi took sometime to give the answer. Both Amitabh and Mukul Anand were worried that she would reject the role the same way she rejected many Amitabh Bachchan films in the past. One day Amitji was given Sridevi's song from Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (Dushman Dil Ka Jo Hai Mere) to watch, He was so impressed by her dance in that song. It is known that when Amitabh likes a performance he would send the artist a bouquet of flowers. But what Amitji did to our Last Empress Sridevi was sending her a truck full of flowers!! Magazines came with covers that Amitabh Bachchan is trying to woo Sridevi. Filmfare magazine made a whole cover and story about it (We will post the whole story and pics at some other time). Of course they did not mean romantically but professionally. They said he wanted Sridevi to do the film with him!

When the producers asked Sridevi for her answer the queen said yes provided they stick to the script. And then Sridevi was in Khuda Gawah. Bagging a double role with Amitabh Bachchan. A record that no other actress ever had. And also not to forget her introduction scene, which is again not just the best any actress had with Amitabh Bachchan but can be ranked among the best intro scenes any heroine could get. Khuda Gawah got a very positive response from the critics and audiences. The film was the second highest grossing film at the box office in India in 1992. In the middle east and Arab countries the film was a huge hit. In Afghanistan the film is still hailed as the best bollywood film there and it has been dubbed in their own local languages!

In late 1993 the film was released in the US in a limited way. The response was very huge and then got a wider release in 1994. Late Gavin Smith stated that "God is My Witness is one of the ten best films of 1994" he meant internationally including both Hollywood and Bollywood. While Stephen Holden from New York Times said"Movies rarely offer more rip-roaring action per minute than does God is My Witness". Hopefully we will post their reviews in the review section and we will also talk more about Khuda Gawah some other time with more details. The below is the poster of the film that was released in the US.

All what you need to know about Puli

29/3/2015

Puli is Sridevi's next film and she will be acting in a Tamil film after 29 years. Here are some information that we would like you all to know about the film if you have not been following it's news. Some might not be 100% accurate because the makers and team of Puli has been keeping everything under extreme secrecy.

Puli: means Tiger
Language: Tamil
Genre: Action/Adventure - Fantasy
Star Cast: Sridevi, Ilayathalapathy Vijay, Sudeep, Shruti Hassan, Hansika Motwani
Director & Writer: Chimbu Deven
Producers: Selvakumar & Shibu K. Thameen
Music Director: Devi Sri Prasad
Budget: Rs. 100 Crores.
Film Development: Started in late 2011
Film Shooting Started: November 2014
Current Shooting Location: Kerala
Climax Shooting Locations: Punjab & Chennai
First Look Release Date: 14th April 2015
Film Release Date: 22nd June 2015

Some information:
- Puli's development started in late 2011 with different actors being signed for the lead role but then the film got shelved for sometime. Then again development restarted in late 2013 and Vijay was signed this time.
- Sridevi will be playing the role of Queen Meenakshi.
- Puli is expected to be released on Vijay's birthday.
- Story: As per the rumors Puli will have two time periods. The modern era and the ancient times of kings and queens. Ajay will be playing a dual role. His love interests are Shruti Hassan in the modern era and Hansika Motwani in the ancient period. In the modern times it is said that he might be playing a dwarf and some suggested cartoonist. While in the ancient times he will be seen as a commander who tries to impress Queen Meenakshi played by Sridevi who is the mother of Hansika. It was also rumored that Vijay will be playing a cartoonist who will draw characters and these characters will come to life. That must explain the ancient era's presence in the film.
- Post production of the film might take more than 2-3 months as the film requires extensive work of CGI.
- Sridevi charged 5 Rs, Crores for her role in this film.
- Vijay fans are looking forward to the film and Puli's success. They are anticipating it to be Vijay's hat-rick hit and entering the 100 crore club.

So what do you think guys? Are you excited about Puli?

How to be a Sridevi fan!

28/3/2015

No, this is not a tutorial or a guide of how to be a fan! because simply love cannot be taught. It just happens. & loving Sridevi just comes from the heart of her fans. Each one of us has his own ways in expressing that love. Each one shows it in his own unique beautiful way. Today our feature post is about a die hard Sridevi fan who showed it again and again. Rajan Naidu, the name must be very well known to many Sri fans and if you are reading this and you still do not know him then keep reading because Rajan can show you what a fan can do for his favorite star.

When English Vinglish (2012) was about to be released our friend Rajan went on to celebrate the occasion in his own way. He booked the whole Maxus theatre for the 7.30 pm which has a seating capacity of 290 seats! He paid Rs 5000 in advance to the theatre. All family and friends were present there to share with Rajan his love. The news got spread and reached news agencies which posted about it be it Times of India, Bharat Student etc.. It was all over the place and we were very proud of Rajan for showing this beautiful gesture for Sri's comeback film.

Times of India said "There have been tales of fans standing in long queues for hours at a stretch to get tickets for films featuring their favourite stars. But booking an entire screen in advance isn't something one has heard in quite a while.". While Daily Bolly said "It’s genuine to say that once a time the actress was dominating the whole Bollywood platform as the numero-uno starlet and hardly had there any comparison of other B-town actresses with her. But we got surprised to see the obsession still exiting among her fans and you will be surprised to know that one of her dead-end fans Rajan Naidu have booked a whole theatre for private screening of her upcoming movie ‘English Vinglish’ even much before the movie releases!"

There is also a beautiful video posted by Rajan himself giving a speech there just before the screening.

That's not all. Rajan's story does not end there! It actually starts from there. He has written a wonderful post on his facebook page about his meeting face to face with The Last Empress Sridevi and how she met him and his wife warmly. Not only this but Sri has also named his first born as Daivik which means Divine. She held the baby, blessed him and also gifted him. The story is just too beautiful to be summarized that is why we have included it fully as he wrote it in a new section we have created called "FANS CORNER" where we will feature Sri's fans with their stories from time to time.

Thank you Rajan for sharing your story and experience with us. We are very proud of you.

Rajan's whole post, pics and videos can be found HERE

Is Sridevi the most powerful Woman in Bollywood?

27/3/2015

This was a a beautiful article written on Bollywood Life. A poll has been conducted. One of the many polls that Sridevi won that year. The poll was about voting for the most powerful character of 2012. Sridevi won the poll with over 74% of the votes! Isn't that great? Not just the number of votes but how Sridevi played a vulnerable and fragile character and turned her in the film to a powerful one without exaggeration. Sridevi made the audience care about Shashi Godbole and made them want her to succeed. We laughed, cried, got upest for her sorrows and happy for her joy. That is what acting should be, to live a character and not just play it. Sridevi gets the full mark for that.

Another nice thing about the below article how they included some of the fans comments too. Our dear friend Rajan Naidu who is one of Sridevi's die hard fans and very well known for his immense contributions in Sridevi's fandom says "Sridevi is undoubtedly the HERO of this movie". Yes Rajan, you said it right, she is the HERO with caps, just like how she was and still is. Another fan from Dubai Khaled Khalifa shared his experience in the theater while watching English Vinglish. He clearly points how Sridevi is a universal star and has an international appeal. Yes our Devi conquered the world with her wonderful comeback. She is the most powerful woman indeed.

Sridevi & Gauri Shinde attending English Vinglish's Success Party Hosted by Loyal Fans

25/3/2015

The things we do as fans for our Sridevi are beyond belief. We love her, no doubt. And be sure that the elegant lady loves us back too. In November 2012 a big group of die hard and very loyal Sridevi fans decided to throw a success party at PVR Theater in Mumbai celebrating the huge success and appreciation that English Vinglish has received. Fans have requested the film director the gorgeous Gauri Shinde to join with Sridevi and be part of this celebration.

Gauri Shinde arrived and she was very sweet, down to earth. She did not behave like a director of a successful film, but a normal person. Fans were whistling, clapping and cheering at the screening and Gauri was watching them and laughing at their reactions to what was happening on the screen. We are sure she has felt all the love and affection that her wonderful film received by the fans and audiences.

At the interval Sridevi arrived! fans were ecstatic! That day Sridevi had an eye injury and the doctor asked her not to leave home for few days until her eye gets fine. Despite this the queen still made it to the event! She welcomed all the fans with her beautiful gentle smile, She spoke in Tamil with some of the fans. All fans questions were answered too! Fans also asked her to do the Michael Jackson dance step from the the film which she did! Sri was very very humble and cooperative. She signed each and every autograph without any fuss or acting starry!

When the event came to an end and she was about to leave the venue a small girl aged 7-8 years went running towards Sri asking her for a picture. Her manager said "Sorry, enough, Madam has to leave now" but Sri interrupted and posed with the little girl with her hand on the girl's shoulders. Sri also thanked all the fans for their continuous love and support.

This was a fun filled evening. Having your absolute favorite superstar in front of you in that humble and down to earth way. Everybody felt the love and warmness in this joyful togetherness. When the evening came to an end and both Sridevi & Gauri left some of the fans had tears in their eyes. The tears of joy that they will never forget.

Date of the event: 5th November 2012
Venue: PVR Theater in Mumbai
Story & Pictures have been contributed by one of Sridevi's die hard fans and one of the strongest pillars in Sridevi's fan club, our dear friend Deepa Bhatia.

All the pictures can be seen in the gallery ==> Events & Functions ==> 2012. You can find them HERE

A Tribute to The Last Empress Sridevi - A Medley of 27 Songs

25/3/2015

This is a nice tribute to our roop ki rani Sridevi. A slide show we have created from a medley of 27 of Sridevi songs. This was released in 1989 and we have not seen it anywhere on the internet so we thought you might like to listen to it. The medley is sang by Poornima, Vindo Rathod and other singers. It is around 50 minutes!
Of course the original songs are way better but still we thought to post this due to its rarity, Happy listening and don't forget to thumb up our video!

The video has also been added to Videos ==> Our Creations section, HERE

Sridevi in Sigappu Rojakkal 2?

24/3/2015

Yes Sridevi is being flooded with film offers! Good na? There is hardly any actress from her generation or the previous generations who is getting that many film offers. Yesterday we mentioned about the latest offer from Uday Wadeyar, today it is from the son of Bharathiraja, the director of her Tamil blockbuster Sigappu Rojakkal. In which she starred opposite Kamal Hassan. This rumor is not a new one though. It has been there circulating since 2010! before Sri makes a comeback to films! IndiaGlitz have reported it previously as a remake of the original and that Sridevi would have a special appearance kind of role in it.

The latest buzz from Deccan Chronicle is that Sridevi will be the surprise package in the remake, It could be some special role or a guest appearance. We don't know yet. The film is not a sequel so it will not have the number 2 to the title.
How about Sridevi playing the psycho mother who pushes her son into committing crimes? Now that might be something to look forward to!

English Vinglish Reviews!

23/3/2015

Hey guys, we have gathered all English Vinglish reviews that we came across online in one place! at Sridevi.biz.
A new reviews section has been added to the site where we will gather all Sridevi's past films reviews as well as all her future films reviews. Would be a good source when you want to read everything at one place.

It took us sometime to collect and gather the reviews of English Vinglish, not just the gathering but even the reading! It is really hard to resist the amount of love, admire and praise Sri has got with this film, be it from critics and public. The reviews have been divided into 2 sections. One is critics and the other is by bloggers. The full reviews are HERE

Here are few beautiful words said by the reviewers about Sridevi:

- Resham Sengar from Zee News: "After a sabbatical of 15 years, Sridevi has returned to do a meaty role in ‘English Vinglish’ and post watching the film, I have just one word for the actress - FLAWLESS!"

- Raja Sen from Rediff: "Sri excels in fleshing out her character -- a character too simple to be, say, charismatic -- and also, more importantly, in winning the audience over so completely that her little triumphs, like navigating a turnstile at a subway station, seem like major highs. We root for her at every step, and that is no small feat."

- Komal Nahta: "Sridevi makes the best comeback in Bollywood history and delivers a landmark performance. To say that she carries the entire burden of the film on her slender shoulders would not be one bit of an exaggeration. Not once does she go overboard. She gives the character of Shashi so much dignity that she doesn’t let the viewer feel sorry for her but yet makes them sympathise with her and completely understand her predicament. All awards for the best actress this year should be reserved for Sridevi and Sridevi alone!"

- Rubina A Khan from First Post: "English Vinglish brings acting back, all thanks to Sridevi! Sridevi! Sridevi! Or Sridevi brings acting back in English Vinglish. Either way, it’s a winner!"

- Meena Iyer from The Times of India: "Sridevi is the backbone of EV. Anxiety, anger, arrogance, anguish, attraction, the actress conveys emotions effortlessly with or without words. Returning to the silver screen after a 15-year hiatus; Sri's performance here is a master-class for actors. So much so, that you keep applauding her, long after the lights come on."

- Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama: "ENGLISH VINGLISH is unimaginable without Sridevi. Correspondingly, I don't think Sridevi could've got a more cohesive script to return to movies. This is unlike what the actress has done in the past. Think of Sridevi and you recall films like HIMMATWALA, CHAALBAAZ, NAGINA, MR. INDIA, CHANDNI, LAMHE, KHUDA GAWAH, LAADLA and JUDAAI. But the supremely talented actress also has non-glam roles like the one in SADMA to her credit. She returns to the big screen in a role that's sans the frills, spectacle and theatrics and yet wins hearts. She's stellar, in terrific form, immersing herself in this character, playing her age… so much so that after a point you forget you're watching someone who has immortalized so many characters. What you carry home, and in your heart, is Shashi, a woman who is snubbed by her children and husband on various occasions for her lack of English-language skills, but overpowers her apprehensions and insecurities and emerges triumphant eventually. "

- Vivek Bhatia from Filmfare: " If English Vinglish is a charm grenade then Sridevi is the charm. She puts the act back into acting with her performance as the resilient and compliant Shashi. She conveys the unsaid through her expressive eyes and pulls off an applause-worthy nuanced performance. From rehearsing her answers to questions that will be asked at the US Immigration counter, joining English classes and then eventually being able to make her family proud is a transformation which has been etched out perfectly by her. Subtly performed and duly underplayed this is undoubtedly one of her best performance till date."

- Sudhish Kamath from The Hindu: "The film was always going to be evaluated on how well the final English speech is written and delivered. Sridevi nails it so beautifully. What a masterfully nuanced performance this is!"

- Subhash K Jha: "As for the incandescent Sridevi, was she really away for 16 years? She makes the contemporary actresses, even the coolest ones, look like jokes with her flawless interpretation of a woman who seeks only respect because love, she already has."

- Shweta Parande from Bollywood Life: "Is Sridevi on her way to becoming India’s Meryl Streep? Or Susan Sarandon? Seriously, we don’t know if such comparisons are valid, ‘coz Sridevi is our very own Sridevi, so let her be her. Yes, those are the kind of reactions she would draw from audiences when they watch her new film,English Vinglish"

- Anupama Chopra from Hindustan Times: "She's vulnerable and sad, yet selfless and strong, in the way we all know our mothers to be. She imbues Shashi's quest for respect with genuine emotion. It's hard to imagine that this is an actor who hasn't worked in fifteen years."

- Rajeev Masand: "Shinde nails it by casting Sridevi in the central role. The actress is effortlessly charming as the neglected protagonist who discovers herself when she’s allowed to fly. She infuses the part with the right portions of vulnerability, restraint, and quiet strength, delivering a performance that is nothing short of perfect."

- Lisa Tsering from The Hollywood Reporter: "Indian screen legend Sridevi triumphs in a gentle, but affecting, story of a woman’s awakening self-respect.Fans of Indian cinema need no introduction to Sridevi, the star of more than 200 movies: admired for her sparkling comic timing, dancing prowess and acting chops, “Sri” ruled the marquee from the mid-‘70s to the early ‘90s, It took a very special project indeed to lure this very special talent back to the big screen, and English Vinglish is it."

- Martin D'Souza from Glamsham: "The story is very modern, yet archaic; sober, yet hard-hitting. And adding punch with lots of pizzaz to the entire duration of the film is Sridevi. She has come back with the proverbial BANG! Probably, this has to be one of the best knock-out return of an actress who once ruled the roost."

- Mansha Rastogi from Now Running: "Sridevi not only looks beautiful but also matures as an actress. Her portrayal of a vernac housewife who is determined to change the condescending perceptions about her is pure brilliance. Her flawless portrayal clearly testifies once again why she was and still is a superstar!"

- Amer Shoib from The Cinema Journal: "English Vinglish a hilarious, touching, sensitive, and sweet film that marks the triumphant come back of India's biggest female star...Sridevi."

There are many many wonderful words written. Read the reviews that you have not read before. We will add more when we come across new ones.

Sridevi charging 5 crores for yet another film?

23/3/2015

We all know Sridevi charged 5 crores for her upcoming Tamil film Puli (2015). Then we all know that both Sridevi and Boney Kapoor are working on their own home production film which will be starring Sri, rumors recently suggested that the title of that film will be Mother and to be directed by ad maker Ravi Udyawar. The latest rumor that has been circulating for a short time is that ad filmmaker from Kollywood Uday Wadeyar has approached Sridevi with a heroine oriented film where she has to appear as a glamorous mom. The film is about mother and daughter relationship!
apparently Sridevi quoted her current remuneration which is 5 crores (we fans think she deserves more!) and the filmmakers accepted! Of course this could be just a rumor but we had to report it. The similarity between this project and Sridevi's own home production film is Sri in the lead as a mother, The mother daughter relationship being the main focus of both stories & both directors being ad filmmakers!
We know not everyone can be Gauri Shinde but we hope they are both good. The below article is taken from Greatandhra.