Sri Devi: A life too precious, lost too soon
Friday - April 20, 2018 2:39 pm ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
IANS Photo
The death of iconic Sri Devi has left an indelible void in the Indian film industry and the world of culture. The stardom that Sri Devi achieved in a short span is unparalleled in Bollywood. She turned a legend in her lifetime by virtue of her beauty and uniquely expressive acting style that set her apart from others of her time and ilk.
Her persona was astounding both on screen and off the screen. Her coy, suave, dignified and measured public life was as famed and discussed as intensely and widely as her filmy career.
Her acting career span was not big – may be 10-15 years at best, but even in this rather brief outing, Sri Devi ended up essaying roles in over 300 films in Hindi and the southern languages, which shows her popularity and charisma. In her peak in the late 70s she was doing as many as 12-13 films a year, which is a record of sorts. In the 1980s, when she started ruling the Hindi silver screen, her average was five films a year, which is still something most top line actors cannot do.
This is also testimony to Sri Devi’s thirst for creativity, her commitment and her assiduity that propelled her to such stardom. And her greatness lies in the fact the she could mould herself in any role, be it a tragic and serious role or be it the role of a flamboyant and whimsical teenager. She was at ease, no matter what character she portrayed.
Though she started off with the south Indian film industry, her explosive talent surpassed and exceeded her domain and she made a splash as soon as she forayed into Bollywood.
What led to her untimely death may remain a mystery to many of her fans and followers forever. The whole story revolving around the unfortunate incident poses more questions than one can find answers for. There are several ifs and buts and loose ends that will keep on haunting film lovers.
But be what it may, it still seems a lie; Sri Devi is immortal and it is still difficult for us to accept that the diva that millions still idolise, is no more. She will certainly live within us through her beautiful and widely diverse films but it is a true loss to Indian cinema especially at a time when the actor was coming out of a long hiatus and doing some very meaningful and offbeat films. She was one of the few actors who the public enthusiastically accepted even at the age of 50, a privilege many top stars miss.
A comeback is rarely as successful for anyone as exemplified by Sri Devi. This again shows the influence she has and will always have on her audience. Perhaps the only sorrow we will have to live with is the fact that we would see no more of her. She was blooming even now and we would have got the luck of seeing her in even more challenging, more diverse and unique roles in the years to come. But that was not to be.
– Window To News
Her persona was astounding both on screen and off the screen. Her coy, suave, dignified and measured public life was as famed and discussed as intensely and widely as her filmy career.
Her acting career span was not big – may be 10-15 years at best, but even in this rather brief outing, Sri Devi ended up essaying roles in over 300 films in Hindi and the southern languages, which shows her popularity and charisma. In her peak in the late 70s she was doing as many as 12-13 films a year, which is a record of sorts. In the 1980s, when she started ruling the Hindi silver screen, her average was five films a year, which is still something most top line actors cannot do.
This is also testimony to Sri Devi’s thirst for creativity, her commitment and her assiduity that propelled her to such stardom. And her greatness lies in the fact the she could mould herself in any role, be it a tragic and serious role or be it the role of a flamboyant and whimsical teenager. She was at ease, no matter what character she portrayed.
Though she started off with the south Indian film industry, her explosive talent surpassed and exceeded her domain and she made a splash as soon as she forayed into Bollywood.
What led to her untimely death may remain a mystery to many of her fans and followers forever. The whole story revolving around the unfortunate incident poses more questions than one can find answers for. There are several ifs and buts and loose ends that will keep on haunting film lovers.
But be what it may, it still seems a lie; Sri Devi is immortal and it is still difficult for us to accept that the diva that millions still idolise, is no more. She will certainly live within us through her beautiful and widely diverse films but it is a true loss to Indian cinema especially at a time when the actor was coming out of a long hiatus and doing some very meaningful and offbeat films. She was one of the few actors who the public enthusiastically accepted even at the age of 50, a privilege many top stars miss.
A comeback is rarely as successful for anyone as exemplified by Sri Devi. This again shows the influence she has and will always have on her audience. Perhaps the only sorrow we will have to live with is the fact that we would see no more of her. She was blooming even now and we would have got the luck of seeing her in even more challenging, more diverse and unique roles in the years to come. But that was not to be.
– Window To News
