Sridevi (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018) was an Indian actress often described as the first female superstar of Indian cinema. She began acting at the age of four and worked in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films for about 50 years. Her hits include Moondram Pirai, Himmatwala, Mr. India, Chandni and Lamhe. After a 15-year break she returned with English Vinglish (2012), and her final lead role in Mom (2017) won her a posthumous National Film Award.
Quick Facts
| Birth name | Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan |
| Born | 13 August 1963, Meenampatti, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Died | 24 February 2018, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (aged 54) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1967–2018 |
| Spouse | Boney Kapoor (m. 1996) |
| Children | Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2013), National Film Award for Best Actress (2018) |
| Known for | Moondram Pirai, Mr. India, Chandni, Lamhe, English Vinglish |
Early Life
Sridevi was born near Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Her father, Ayyapan, was a lawyer, and her mother, Rajeswari, was from Andhra Pradesh, so she grew up speaking both Tamil and Telugu. She made her screen debut as a child in the Tamil devotional film Thunaivan (1967) and went on to work as a child artist in films across the South Indian industries, which meant she had little regular schooling.
Career
Sridevi’s first adult lead came at 13 in K. Balachander’s Tamil film Moondru Mudichu (1976), alongside Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. She became one of the leading actresses of Tamil and Telugu cinema with films such as 16 Vayathinile (1977), Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980) and Balu Mahendra’s Moondram Pirai (1982), in which she played a young woman who loses her memory.
Although she had appeared in the Hindi film Solva Sawan (1979), her real Bollywood breakthrough was Himmatwala (1983). The same year she repeated her Moondram Pirai role in its Hindi remake, Sadma. Through the 1980s and 1990s she was one of the highest-paid stars in Hindi films, known for her comic timing and dancing in Nagina (1986), Mr. India (1987), ChaalBaaz (1989), Yash Chopra‘s Chandni (1989) and Lamhe (1991), and Khuda Gawah (1992) with Amitabh Bachchan. In Telugu she starred in hits such as Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990). After Judaai (1997) she stepped away from films to raise her family.
Sridevi returned in Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish (2012), playing a housewife who learns English in New York. The film was a critical and commercial success. Her 300th film, Mom (2017), in which she played a mother seeking justice for her daughter, was her last lead role. She also made a brief appearance in Zero (2018), released after her death.
Personal Life and Death
Sridevi married the film producer Boney Kapoor, the elder brother of Anil Kapoor, in 1996. They had two daughters, Janhvi (born 1997) and Khushi (born 2000), both of whom became actresses. On 24 February 2018 Sridevi died in her hotel room in Dubai, where she had gone for a family wedding; Dubai authorities said she had drowned accidentally in the bathtub. She was given a state funeral in Mumbai.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Sridevi born?
Sridevi was born on 13 August 1963 in Meenampatti, Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India.
When did Sridevi die?
Died: 24 February 2018, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (aged 54).
What is Sridevi known for?
Known for: Moondram Pirai, Mr. India, Chandni, Lamhe, English Vinglish.
What honours has Sridevi received?
Padma Shri (2013), National Film Award for Best Actress (2018).
Featured image: Sridevi on the green carpet at the IIFA Awards, Tampa, Florida, 25 April 2014. Photo by Laura Lee Dooley, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
