In an impressive career, spanning five-decades, the actor ruled the commercial cinema space in the '80s and '90s like no heroine had done before.Ageless beauty, vibrant, beautiful, brilliant and iconic - the Indian film fraternity poured out its love for Sridevi as the news of her sudden and untimely death left the country in shock.
Those expressive eyes and the mischievous smile sent hearts a quiver and lit up the cinema screens, making Sridevi Bollywood's first female superstar.
The actor, who was 54, died late at Saturday night reportedly due to a cardiac arrest in Dubai where she had gone to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding.
In an impressive career, spanning five-decades, the actor ruled the commercial cinema space in the '80s and '90s like no heroine had done before.
In an industry dominated by male superstars, Sridevi reversed the trend by her sheer acting prowess. Her name, most of the times, was guarantee enough for a film's success.
Here is a look at some of the strongest female characters portrayed by Sridevi:
1. Sigappu Rojakkal
P Bharatiraja's 1978 film Sigappu Rojakkal is one of the defining moments of her film career. Sridevi stars alongside Kamal Haasan in this psychological thriller film. Sridevi marries the character of Kamal Haasan, who is a serial killer. The film revolves around how Sridevi finds out about her husband's secret and then fights to save her life.
2. ChaalBaaz
It was Pankuj Parashar's 1989 film ChaalBaaz that helped her display her acting prowess best. She played a double role in the movie as Anju who is coy and calm girl and Manju, a bossy street girl. Sridevi delighted the audience with her portrayal of two extremely opposite characters. She elegantly portrayed weak and a strong characters in the film and is one of Sridevi's finest performances till date.
3. Devaraagam
Sridevi proved that she is a complete actor who knew the nuances of acting and is evident from Bharathan's 1996 Malayalam movie Devaraagam. Her role as a strong woman who musters courage to reveal the truth about her son's real father was something new to the audience then. Sridevi's performance in the climax is unforgettable even though she was not used to Malayalam language.
4. English Vinglish
Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish was Sridevi's comeback film after a gap of 15 years. And what a comeback it was - playing the role of a traditional Indian housewife's struggle with the English language in the US, she was simply outstanding. It was more about a woman's awakening self-respect.
Who can forget the final speech by her in English which made everyone emotional? She flawlessly portrayed the role of a typical Indian housewife who struggled to earn respect from her family by developing her inner strength.
5. Mom
It's a classic Sridevi that you would see in her last movie Mom directed by Ravi Udyawar. Sridevi is a powerhouse in this revenge drama where a mother decides to avenge the rape of her daughter. Her stunning performance as a powerful woman was highly lauded.
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