Sridevi, who died in Dubai on February 24, was one of Bollywood’s best-loved entertainers.
Widely lauded for her comeback in the sweet slice-of-life drama English-Vinglish (2012), Sridevi's star has been shining since the 1970s, when she made her debut in the Tamil film industry with Moondru Mudichu, by acclaimed director K Balachander. A former child actor, Sridevi first appeared on the big screen in Thunaivan (1967), a devotional film, in which she was credited as baby Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, her given name.
In keeping with the Indian film industry's penchant for marketable names, Shree became Sridevi – the star of numerous Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada movies, winning her first of five Filmfare awards for Meendum Kokila (1981). Solva Sawan, Sridevi's first Bollywood movie in 1979, too, was a remake of a Tamil film in which she starred alongside South India's greats Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth.
She moved to Mumbai in the 1980s for meatier roles in Hindi films. Initially dissed by leading Bollywood actresses of the time for her full figure and Tamilian accent, Sridevi got her big break in Bollywood with box-office hit Himmatwala (1983) where she was paired with Jeetendra.
Eventually, she became one of the industry’s most bankable stars, and was often pitted against screen icons Rekha and Madhuri Dixit.
Known for her dance moves and impeccable comic timing, Sridevi was a household name by the time Tohfa hit screens in 1984. Every Bollywood buff from the 1980s and 1990s has a Sridevi story - whether it's laughing at a cousin who imitates her goofy dialogues at family gatherings, requesting VCDs of Chandi and Khuda Gawah as a birthday present, or dressing up as Hawa Hawaii, fruit hat and all, for a fancy dress competition at school.
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Read more:
Bollywood legend Sridevi dies at 54
Pictures and video of Sridevi's final days in the UAE
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Sridevi married film producer Boney Kapoor in 1996, and took a break from acting after the birth of her daughter a year later, sporadically appearing in segments of television shows such as Salman Khan's 10 Ka Dum and Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayte. The actress was honoured with the Padma Shri award in 2013, and her last film was Mom (2017), for which she was praised as "the high priestess of Indian cinema" by The Times of India.
When I met Gauri Shinde a few years ago, the English-Vinglish director, who convinced the actress to return to the silver screen, spoke very highly of both Sridevi's acting prowess and professionalism, and her healthy lifestyle, fitness regime and stringent diet.
“I’ve only ever seen her eat broccoli,” Shinde said with a laugh. “She tried to get me to do the same, but she didn’t stand a chance.”
The mother-of-two was also a yoga buff and was always trying to get her husband into shape. For the past several years she was involved in grooming her older daughter Jhanvi for her own acting career. Jhanvi makes her debut later this year, and was filming in Mumbai at the time of her mother’s death.
Anju, Manju, Pallavi, Pooja, Benazir, Nagina, Hawa Hawaii and even Charlie Chaplin – Sridevi, the actress, wore many hats with ease. Her comic timing shone through in films such as Shekhar Kapur's Mr India (1987), Chaalbaaz (1989) and Chandni (1989). But Sridevi was equally convincing as a childlike amnesiac in the tragic Sadma (1983); as the bubbly girl-next-door who falls for an older man in the controversial Lamhe (1991); and as a woman wrongly convicted and arrested for drug possession in the hard-hitting Gumrah (1993).
As children, even her box-office flops were amusement personified. We didn't mind the cheesy dialogues of Laadla ("Jara face idhar karna") or the paper-thin plotline of Judaai (where she plays a woman who sells her husband for cash). We oohed and aahed when Sridevi dressed up as a doll-like Japanese woman in Roop Ki Rani, Choron Ka Raja, dropped to the ground in serpentine form in Nagina; or flew across the screen as a wing-tipped fairy in the frankly terrible Chandramukhi.
A true entertainer, then, one who has left an indelible mark on both Indian cinema and a whole generation who grew up borrowing saris from their mums and suspenders from their dad, depending on the Sridevi role-play for the day: Chandi or Charlie Chaplin.
READ MORE: Bollywood's Twitter tributes for Sridevi
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Abu Dhabi GP starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)
8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
14 Sergio Perez (Force India)
15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
20 Lance Stroll (Williams)
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
SPECS
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MO
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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum