Sridevi: India’s first female superstar who lit up screens but was a recluse in real life

Far from her on-screen persona, Sridevi, born Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapa, was a private and inherently shy person who liked to keep to herself, even on film sets.

Sridevi started her career as a child actor. (Express Archive photos)

“Off-screen, Sridevi was a contrast to her on-screen persona,” is a common answer one gets from her peers and journalists who interviewed her, but swore by her undying dedication to her craft and talent. She was described by superstar Rajinikanth, with whom she shared a close bond, as “quiet and childlike” when not acting. “She was always a quiet, childlike person behind the camera. But when the camera started rolling, she would turn into a fire. Like an electric current, that is how she performed. She never had a fallout with anyone on sets. I was also amazed by her success in Bollywood without knowing a single word of Hindi then. She was a born actress,” Rajinikanth, who shared the screen with the late actor in 16 films across languages, said.

Sridevi, who was known for her fearless choice of roles and defied stereotypes, took on characters that many actresses of her time would shy away from. But she was extremely guarded as a person, creating a sense of enigma around her personal life. She never spoke about her alleged romance and rumoured marriage with Mithun Chakraborty and remained tight-lipped about her marriage to Boney Kapoor. Many cited her foray into acting at a tender age, which put her in the spotlight, and her strict parents as reasons for her reclusive nature. According to author Lalita Iyer, who calls Sridevi “first Pan-India star,” the actor’s lack of command of Hindi and English “led to a certain guardedness or aloofness on sets”.

In her book, Sridevi: Queens of Heart, she mentions that people, including her co-stars, took her aloofness for ‘arrogance’. But the actor didn’t think it was necessary to explain her choice to be identified as “quiet” and “guarded” because she was busy doing films or reading her lines on sets. “All through the 1980s, when her career was at an all-time high, she was a fortress journalists could not breach. She spoke very little and mostly answered in monosyllables. The media was not very kind to her. They called her ‘thunder thighs’ and ‘ask Mummy’ because most of her answers were either ‘ask Mummy’ or yes or no,” she wrote in her book.

Sridevi’s career spanned over 50 years in a wide range of genres.

While many mistook her for being “cold,” the actor proved that she was warm and caring, too. According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, when her co-star Rajinikanth, who she was fond of, fell seriously ill during the shooting of Rana, Sridevi kept a fast for a week to pray for his recovery. Sridevi’s Mom co-star and Pakistani actor Sajal Aly described Sridevi as caring and said she was like her “mom” who fed her when she was ill.

In her interviews, Sridevi often spoke of missing out on childhood given she started her career at the age of four. While her tutor would accompany her on sets in the initial days, with her growing popularity and more film offers, she gave up on education. “My heavy work schedule made it difficult for me to attend regular school and I had to leave it in the first grade. My father, a lawyer, arranged for a home tutor who accompanied me even on shoots,” she told Rediff in an interview.

Sridevi’s journey to stardom began remarkably early. At just four, she graced the silver screen for the first time in the Tamil film Kandan Karunai (1967). By the age of ten, she was already a seasoned actress, juggling multiple film shoots each day. She made waves in Tamil and Malayalam cinema, delivering standout performances in films like Aalinganam, Kuttavum Sikshaiyum, and Aa Nimisham. Her career trajectory truly soared when she shared the screen with titans of the Tamil film industry, Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth. She played Rajinikanth’s stepmother at the mere age of 13. Her foray into Bollywood, however, was not as smooth. A minor role in Julie (1975) and a lackluster performance in Solva Saawan (1978) preceded her meteoric rise. Himmatwala (1983), opposite Jeetendra, catapulted her to unprecedented heights, marking the beginning of a legendary career.

Sridevi passed away in 2018. (Express Archive photo)

But the actor wasn’t happy with the success of Himmatwala, a film that opened doors for her. It was thanks to a scene where she cracks the whip while dressed in leather leotards that she received the tag of “thunder thighs,” which she despised. “In Tamil films, they love to see me act naturally, but in Hindi films they want a lot of glamour, richness and masala. My bad luck was that my first big hit in Hindi films was a commercial film (Himmatwala). When I did a character role in Sadma, the picture flopped. So people started casting me only for glamour. But one day I’m going to prove to everyone that I can act also,” said the actor, as quoted in Iyer’s book.

“She went through so much and due to her early career entry, life never gave her time to grow up at a normal pace. She was the most beautiful woman for so many people but did she think she was beautiful?” filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma wrote in his book, Guns & Thighs.

Following the actor’s passing, the Rangeela director took to his Facebook page and wrote that Sridevi was “an extremely unhappy woman, who didn’t have much glimmer of happiness in her life”.

“She always came across as a little uptight but that’s because she built a psychological wall around her as she was scared of anybody to really see what’s going on within her. She was panicky about anybody knowing what her insecurities were. She was being constantly directed by the motives of her parents, her relatives, her husband and to an extent even her own children. She was scared whether her daughters would be accepted or not like most star parents do,” he penned.

Her co-stars and senior journalists of her time noted that the constant media attention and curiosity around her personal life made the star uncomfortable as she only wanted to be known for her on-screen work. She once said, “I don’t know anything besides acting.” And therefore, when she took a 15-year hiatus from the silver screen, which was followed by the demise of her mother, Sridevi enjoyed the role of being a wife and mother to Janhvi and Khushi. When ask if she missed the spotlight, she told Rediff, “No. I was happy to spend time with my children and my husband. I was enjoying motherhood.”

Actor Sridevi was part of several blockbuster films like Mr India, Chandani, Lamhe and more. (Photo: Instagram/sridevi.kapoor)

Despite those who knew her calling her a recluse, the actor refuted such labels and even corrected her co-star Akshaye Khanna during Mom’s promotions. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Khanna said, “I thought I was borderline reclusive but Sridevi takes being a private person to a whole different level. She is the ultimate non-communicator. I haven’t seen this quality in actors in a long time. No one can be friends with us unless they have known us for years, there can never be an icebreaking moment and I love it!” However, Sridevi replied, “When you are a public personality, you can’t afford to be a recluse. If I sit quietly in a corner waiting for the camera to roll, it doesn’t mean that I am aloof and cut off from people. It could be that I am thinking about the shot or going over my lines.”

Raveena Tandon and Sridevi worked together in Laadla.

For Sridevi, the film industry was both her stage and sanctuary. Her return to acting after a 15-year hiatus was marked by critical acclaim, particularly for English Vinglish. Her final role in Mom was a testament to her enduring talent and versatility. Her career was a celebration of both commercial success and artistic depth. From her early days as a child star in Poombatta to her iconic roles in Nagina, Chandni, and Sadma, Sridevi’s journey was a testament to her remarkable talent and unwavering dedication. Even in her private moments, she remained a captivating figure, her quiet demeanor masking a profound passion for her craft.

Despite her reticent and introverted off-screen personality, Sridevi was known to be headstrong.

Chandni co-star and late actor Rishi Kapoor, who admired her determination to challenge typecasting and break taboos, said, “She was always there to do her best… She always wanted to challenge the typecast, to break the taboo.”  While her private life remained a constant topic for tabloids and magazines, she focused on her work and craft. Her legacy, etched into the fabric of Indian cinema, continues to inspire generations of actors.