The next big film she rejected was Shashi Kapoor's home production Ajooba in which she was approached for a role opposite none other than Amitabh Bachchan. The reason for denying the film? She felt Amitabh had a more prominent role and felt she didn't deserve anything less than what he got. In an interview in 1987, she said, "I have never said I won't work with Amitji. But then what's there for any artiste to do in a film starring him? He does everything himself." While some felt her statement reeked of arrogance (especially at a time when heroine-oriented films were non-existent) others felt that she was merely seeking her place in the industry as a superstar in her own right. She may have refused Ajooba because she felt the role wasn't significant enough but when she got a fantastic author-backed character in Beta, she said no to that as well! The film was eventually signed by Madhuri Dixit and it went on to become a blockbuster helping the Dhak Dhak girl edge out Sridevi as the numero uno. Sri's reason for rejecting Beta was that it starred Anil Kapoor with whom she had worked a number of times. A couple of years later Sridevi was offered Darr, a film that made Juhi Chawla a superstar. But she turned it down saying, "After Chandni and Lamhe, I feel Darr would have been an ordinary character for me. If I'm playing Shah Rukh Khan's role, then of course, I would have loved to do it. The character Juhi played was new for her and so it was good for her. But for me, it was something I had done many times before."
Apart from refusing good films, there were also whispers about Sridevi making her male co-stars insecure. Once in an interview, when asked about Sridevi, Salman Khan said, "It's good to work with an actress like Sridevi. But I'm scared. She has the reputation of finishing off the hero with her performance." Even the actresses were a little wary of her. As Amrita Singh once said, "Except for Sridevi, all the other heroines including myself can be slotted together. I'm afraid it is reality and it's time we face it. Today, most producers are proposal makers and most heroines are interchangeable. Sridevi is the only actress who makes a difference in the selling price of a film. She is there for keeps. Take it or leave it." Even producers made films especially to suit her tastes. Filmmaker Harmesh Malhotra once said, "I make films for Sridevi. The co-stars are not important. If people can make films for Amitabh why I can't make films for Sri?"
Sridevi ruled Bollywood a long time but there were occasions when she was rejected too. Apparently, she was chosen for Baazigar in 1993. She was supposed to do a dual role in the film and the script was written to suit her persona. However, the directors (Abbas Mustan) then got uncomfortable with the idea of having Sridevi on board as they felt that the audience would never be able to sympathise with SRK's character if he killed her. The role was re-written and two newcomers, Shilpa Shetty and Kajol, were signed up. In another film, Sunhera Sansar, she was to star along with Hema Malini. However, the makers decided to drop her at the last moment. Sridevi once confessed, "I remember having signed a film with Hemaji. I was a child star then. Halfway through the film, the hero objected to having so many South Indians in the film, so I was dropped.Despite her rejections, there was no one like Sridevi in Bollywood. She was the first actress of her time to get Rs1 crore (roughly Dhs660,000) per film while her competition managed to earn a few hundred thousands. She once said, "I have a lot of responsibilities. I have to do something different in every film. Being at the top is like being on a rollercoaster ride. It's thrilling and scary." In an interview to a leading newspaper she said, "I am glad I am in a position to do whatever is comfortable for me. I am glad I am in a position to select scripts." Sridevi is a remarkable actress and perhaps that's why despite so many controversies, she remains a true diva.
Full article here:
https://www.masala.com/scandal-flashback-sridevis-bizarre-behaviour-182147.html
I also read Janhvi's interview recently on Filmfare where she spoke about how Sridevi was a hands on mother who would always be there to see her kids and Boney and be around them all the time.She would go to the market annd buy fresh fish for home (This is pretty known to people here .She was a regular at four bungalows fish market) Janhvi said that in their Chennai house, Sridevi would play old AR Rahman songs and place flowers all around the house.
Recently,came across this interview of Anil Kapoor where he spoke about how much he and his wife Sunita misses Sridevi a lot everyday. (around 14:50 mins)
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4cPAjwitJo[/YOUTUBE]
Well that's all the update I had about Sridevi. I was waiting for today since I wanted to make this post in rememberance of her talent and contribution to cinema which will stay with us always...
And with this, I bid farewell to this topic and account.Thank you to IM and everyone over here who have contributed to these two topics and have tried to keep Sridevi the actress alive here in the forum. I've had a lot of fun, got to know many new facts about her and also read so many new interviews that I had no idea had existed. I will be back with an account which will be restricted to only movies and music reviews/reccos. I hope years later, when I chance upon this topic again, I can cherish all the memories attached to Sridevi and her fans here.😊
Happy 55th Birthday,Sridevi. 13 August, 1963- Forever. ❤️
The superstar born for the camera and movies!
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
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