Sri is still the one or at least the most actress that gets mentioned when heroines are asked about role model or dream role! None of her rivals or to be precise media made rivals ever get mentioned the way Sridevi does. They cannot compete in that area at all.
Few days ago DnaIndia.com had this article under the title "Celebrities pick the iconic roles they would love to play" and no surprise Sridevi's name was mentioned by two of the actresses. Here what they said:
Sushmita Sen picked: Shashi Godbole (English Vinglish)
"I bow down to Sridevi when I see films like English-Vinglish. She is one of the reasons I become an actress. I would have loved to do something like that."
"I am not sure I will be able to do it, but I would live to play Sridevi in Chaalbaaz. I saw the film recently and I was bowled over by her sheer talent. She played both diametrically opposite roles so beautifully. Another film I was very impressed with was Khuda Gawah. I did a horse riding sequence for Shandaar recently and I was so scared, even after I underwent all that training, In Khuda Gawah, she has so many horse-riding sequences and she seems so much at ease. I don't think I can do justice to any of her roles but I would like to reprise her on the big screen."