‘Mayil’ that strode 2 worlds like a colossus is dead at 54
Avijit.Ghosh@timesgroup.com
Sridevi, who took baby steps in Tamil movies, trotted through Telugu cinema and strode Bollywood as a prima donna, died of a suspected heart attack after attending a wedding reception in Dubai on Saturday. She was 54.
With an irresistible cocktail of oomph and mischief that filled up cavernous single-screen theatres and took her to the pinnacle of popularity in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu cinema, Sridevi was pure gold at the box office.
The starlet, who stole Tamil hearts as the vulnerable ‘Mayil’ in Bharathi Rajaa’s 1977 blockbuster ‘16 Vayathinile’ (At 16) —
a rare film also starring fellow legends Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth —, failed to taste the same level of success in its Hindi remake ‘Solva Sawan’ directed by Rajaa himself in 1979.
‘Himmatwala’, which came next with Jeetendra in the male lead in 1983, launched the Sridevi phenomenon in Hindi films. An essay in imbecility that has since acquired iconic status, director K Raghavendra Rao’s starrer hit the bull’s eye. So did Sridevi, who could turn out sensitive performances — ‘Moondram Pirai’, ‘Lamhe’ and ‘English Vinglish’, to name just three — with felicity and feel.
Avijit.Ghosh@timesgroup.com
Sridevi, who took baby steps in Tamil movies, trotted through Telugu cinema and strode Bollywood as a prima donna, died of a suspected heart attack after attending a wedding reception in Dubai on Saturday. She was 54.
With an irresistible cocktail of oomph and mischief that filled up cavernous single-screen theatres and took her to the pinnacle of popularity in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu cinema, Sridevi was pure gold at the box office.
The starlet, who stole Tamil hearts as the vulnerable ‘Mayil’ in Bharathi Rajaa’s 1977 blockbuster ‘16 Vayathinile’ (At 16) —
a rare film also starring fellow legends Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth —, failed to taste the same level of success in its Hindi remake ‘Solva Sawan’ directed by Rajaa himself in 1979.
‘Himmatwala’, which came next with Jeetendra in the male lead in 1983, launched the Sridevi phenomenon in Hindi films. An essay in imbecility that has since acquired iconic status, director K Raghavendra Rao’s starrer hit the bull’s eye. So did Sridevi, who could turn out sensitive performances — ‘Moondram Pirai’, ‘Lamhe’ and ‘English Vinglish’, to name just three — with felicity and feel.
No comments:
Post a Comment