I don't think I ever reacted so strongly at the news of a celebrity death. I surprised myself. I thought Sridevi was a phenomenal actress and her sense of comic timing even beats the best comics in the industry. But I never thought of myself as a huge fan. Her death revealed that I was. I've been reading up tributes and callbacks to all her movies - many of which I haven't even watched, because, let's face it, they were pretty forgettable. But the ones that shone, shone because of her. She elevated some movies solely because of her presence and her ability to light up the screen. Who can forget her Chaplin act in Mr. India or her comical mannerisms in Hawa Hawaii? Her expression at "soorat hi maine aisi payi" never fails to make me laugh. And Chaalbaaz. Boy, who would've ever thought that a movie made thrice over could make such an impact and end up being the best of the lot? And all because of Sridevi. Her performances in these over-the-top type roles stand out all the more because of who she was for real - a painfully shy introvert. Shekhar Kapur said she always gave more than she was asked for and that is so evident in her roles. She added something - a little nuance, a trait, a mannerism that stayed with you long after the movie's done.
Truly she giraooed Bijli whenever she was on screen. Yesterday I rewatched "Lamhe" - undisputedly my favorite Sridevi film, and found myself laughing and crying along with her. I rooted so much for Pooja that I was yelling so hard at Viren at times. Her scenes with Anupam Kher are so organic and their playful camaraderie is so fresh - it's hard to believe it was scripted. I was laughing so hard at her expressions during the classic song medley - she got "Ghar aaya mera pardesi" down pat and when she wringing out her pallu in "Pyar hua ikraar hua hai" - I snorted my tea right out from my nose.
I realized that the thing about her that set her apart was that she was able to make me notice every small detail in her acting - her breathlessness when she discovers Pallavi's photo on Viren's bedside table and she breaks into song, her excitement when Viren puts the necklace around her, her defiance when she professes her love for him, her amusement at Prem's antics, her reactions when sharing a playful banter with Prem, her shyness when she says she might age like Viren with gray in her hair, her eyes brimming with tears when she finally bids him goodbye, the incredulity when she learns its her mother that Viren loves and her feigned indifference when he asks to meet her non-existent husband - wow, she packs a punch in every one of these scenes and breathes so much life into a character that has stayed with me through all these years. And as Pallavi too, she manages to etch a mark, making that character so disparate, I almost forget she's played by the same actor. She made me believe she was an 18 year old in love with a much older man, though she and Anil Kapoor were probably close to the same age.
I loved "English Vinglish" too and being a Tamilian was so proud that a fellow Tamilian had managed to make a so-called comeback and prove that she still ruled the roost and was a force to reckon with.
I have always been "Team Sridevi" and will continue to be.
Real Estate
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