Indian cinema has seen many queens, spanning a range of languages. From Madhubala, Savitri, Meena Kumari and Nargis to Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil and Rekha, the list is long. However, if there’s one person whose achievements warrant the title of “Supreme Queen,” it would undoubtedly be Sridevi. Nearly seven years after her passing, Sridevi continues to be one of Indian cinema’s most beloved actors. Interestingly, despite the film industry being deeply patriarchal, she earned universal respect — not only for her extraordinary performances but also for the grace and dignity with which she carried herself.
Director Pankaj Parashar, who collaborated with Sridevi on two films — ChaalBaaz (1989), which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004) — recently reminisced about his experiences with her. Among his memories was an incident that highlighted the immense respect she commanded within the industry when a group of Bollywood’s top male actors stood up in reverence upon seeing her.
“Himmatwala, Sadma, Tohfa, Mr India, Nagina had all been released by then and Sridevi was the reigning queen,” Parashar recalled during a chat with Rediff, adding, “I had once gone to discuss some scenes with her in Film City Studio, where she was shooting with various actors.”
“It was lunchtime and Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Ranjeet and Shakti Kapoor were sitting together and eating mutton biryani, which had come from Rishi’s home. Suddenly, all of them jumped to their feet. Sridevi had entered. It was almost like a top army general had walked in. The kind of respect she commanded without demanding it was incredible!” he recalled.
While Sridevi played dual roles in ChaalBaaz, the movie also featured Rajinikanth and Sunny Deol, and was a major critical and commercial success. Parashar recalled, “The first schedule was in Chennai and Sunny Deol was there too. The first day was terribly exciting for me, a young director of 30-31, living out his dream. But Sridevi was cold and distant. There were no ‘good mornings’ and I couldn’t sit next to her or even talk to her directly. Everything had to be conveyed through her make-up man or assistant.” He added that their dynamic shifted once Sridevi recognised his creative vision and understood that both he and the film were different from her previous ones.
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