Before becoming the uncrowned queen of Bollywood, Sridevi was a beloved icon in South India, having made her mark in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films during the ’70s and ’80s. By the time she made her proper foray into Bollywood with Himmatwala (1983), she was already a superstar in the South, commanding a massive fanbase.
Interestingly, she won the hearts of the masses by appearing in both serious and commercial regional films simultaneously, establishing herself as a formidable actor and star. After her initial years as a child artiste, Sridevi emerged as a lead actor in the mid-1970s, and one of the earliest movies to garner her widespread fame and recognition was 16 Vayathinile (1977), helmed by the legendary Bharathiraja in his directorial debut.
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16 Vayathinile: The movie that redefined Tamil cinema
Widely regarded as a pathbreaking movie in Tamil, which brought the regional industry to outdoor locations after being confined to studios for the longest time, 16 Vayathinile restructured Tamil cinema’s visual language. The intense drama also catapulted its lead stars — Sridevi, Kamal Haasan, and Rajinikanth — to new heights, thanks to their impressive performances and the movie’s overall impact on the masses.
When Bharathiraja remade the film in Hindi as Solva Sawan (1979), Sridevi reprised her role, marking her debut as a leading actor in Bollywood. However, it took four more years for her Hindi film career to truly take off. Besides 16 Vayathinile and Solva Sawan, Bharathiraja and Sridevi also collaborated on Sigappu Rojakkal (1978).
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‘An actor extraordinaire’: Bharathiraja’s high praise for Sridevi
Although they worked together only a few times, Bharathiraja held her in high regard and praised her immensely while addressing the media following her demise.
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“Sridevi brilliantly aced a handful of movies as a child artiste before landing her first lead role in Tamil films. Despite discontinuing her studies and lacking academic excellence, she had an uncanny ability to grasp things quickly and perform her roles with consummate ease. Her infectious smile will never fade from my memory. She’s truly an actor extraordinaire,” Firstpost quoted Bharathiraja as saying to reporters in February 2018, a day after Sridevi’s death.
How Bharathiraja convinced Sridevi to take the Bollywood leap
Despite several heavyweight Bollywood directors making a beeline for her after 1983, it is fascinating that Bharathiraja, a Tamil filmmaker, introduced her to Hindi cinema. In fact, Sridevi initially didn’t want to enter Bollywood and had even considered turning down the offer to do Solva Sawan. However, Bharathiraja, on whom she had immense trust, gave her confidence, promising to take care of everything for her.
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“There are a lot of actresses who forayed into Bollywood and other industries and disappeared without a trace. But Sridevi was an exception. She ruled all the film industries during her heyday. Today, I can proudly say that I’m the one who introduced her in Bollywood through Solva Sawan, where she shared the screen with Amol Palekar,” he shared.
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“When I told her about the remake idea, she was sceptical and refused to set foot in Hindi cinema. Then I promised her that I would take care of everything and convinced her to do the film. She later climbed up the ladder of Bollywood through her relentless hard work and extraordinary talent,” Bharathiraja added.
Thus, she entered Bollywood and eventually emerged as the “first female superstar” of Indian cinema. Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018, at the age of 54.
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Bharathiraja, widely regarded as one of the greatest Tamil filmmakers of all time, died on Wednesday, June 10, in Chennai after prolonged ill health. He was 84 and had battled recurring health problems, including respiratory ailments, in recent months.
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Disclaimer: This article is an editorial reflection on cinema history and the artistic legacy of late cultural icons, provided for informational and entertainment purposes.
