B-town in Sadma after Sridevi leaves

Hindi cinema will probably never see the likes of Sridevi. The ultimate performer, she brought to each of her screen appearances a vibrancy which even her untimely death cannot dim. RIP Sridevi.

Mumbai: There has been no dearth of beautiful women who have graced Hindi films down the ages. Women with abundant talent as well. But not since the time of Mumtaz has one seen an actress who managed to bring together that heady combo of childlike innocence and female allure.

Sridevi was unique in that sense. Add to it her flair for drama and comedy and one had an intoxicating screen presence. No matter if you liked her or not, she was impossible to resist. She would draw you in with her expressive eyes and her spontaneity. She was an all-round actress, one who slid smoothly into the role of mainstream Hindi cinema's quintessential heroine. Whether it was a Himmatwala or a Sadma, a Khuda Gawah or a Laadla, she was always bang on, hitting all the notes in perfect harmony.

Her debut in Bollywood with Solva Sawan (1979) hardly created any waves. But it all changed in 1983 when Himmatwala stormed the box office. Riding the 'south' wave which struck Bollywood in the '80s, Sridevi had arrived, thunder thighs and all.  The year also saw the release of Sadma, which gave us an altogether different Sridevi. A lesser actress would have made a hash of that role. But Sridevi walked that perfect balance as the young woman with amnesia and created poignant magic on screen with Kamaal Hassan.

But she stayed true to script and lived out most of '80s prancing through roles gleefully as the coy saree-clad Hindi heroine in films like Tohfa, Mawaali, Aulad, Suhaagan, Ghar Sansar, Dharam Adhikari, Maqsad, Masterji, Justice Chaudhury, etc. But Nagina (1986) was a bit of a game changer of sorts, catapulting Sridevi to the No. 1 spot among heroines.  With Nagina, she was able to successfully shed a certain phase of her acting career. Films like Karma and Janbaaz (1986) with makers like Subhash Ghai and Feroze Khan followed.

But it was Shekhar Kapur’s Mr. India opposite Anil Kapoor in 1987 that finally saw Sridevi coming into her own. The role called for a certain chutzpah, that certain something which only Sridevi could deliver. She dug into it with unabashed glee and delivered an absolutely uninhibited performance.  Be it the ‘Hawa Hawai' number, or her imitation of Charlie Chaplain or the rain dance to beat all rain dances in ‘Kate Nahin Kat Te’, Sridevi dished it out like a diva.  

She was unstoppable in Chaalbaaz and the presence of two male co-stars of the stature of Rajinikanth and Sunny Deol did nothing to dim her brightness in her first double role. She played a double role in yet another movie, Khuda Gawah opposite Amitabh Bachchan in 1992, where again, she held her ground as the Afghani Benazir and her daughter Mehendi opposite the Big B. But it took a Yash Chopra to immortalise her in celluloid in and as Chandni (1989) and finally Lamhe (1991).  

After her marriage to producer Boney Kapoor, Sridevi settled down to play housewife and bring up her two daughters. But she made a resounding comeback in Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish (2012) with a muted but powerful performance as a housewife trying to rediscover herself. She went on to star in her home production Mom last year. The stage was now set for her daughter to make her debut. But that was not to be. It was curtains down for Sridevi on Saturday night in Dubai surrounded by family.  Cardiac arrest, they say.

Like the best of them, Sridevi is now the stuff of memory. Eternalised forever by her seductive performances and her mobile expressions. A diva in the true sense, she stood head and shoulders above her female co-actors like Jayaprada, Madhuri Dixit or Juhu Chawla. She commanded the box office and was truly the first female superstar.

Good night sweet princess. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

The Bard would agree.