No Forgiveness: Salman, Shah Rukh ditch Sridevi's Party

While most of Sridevi's leading men from Vinod Khanna to Anil Kapoor showed up at the celebratory party thrown at the lounge Alibi in Colaba (Mumbai) by politician Amar Singh and Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan who were supposed to most certainly be there did a no-show.

And the reason was not their mutual hostility (yes, the Iftar hug notwithstanding they still don't talk). Their reason for not turning up for Sridevi's golden hour was quite different. 

According to a very reliable source, Salman and Shah Rukh were both aware of each other's invitation at the party. They didn't mind coming face to face. They didn't show up for entirely different reasons. Salman was all dressed and ready to leave for the party when he heard that the party had been organized by his one-time friend Bunty Walia. He immediately changed his mind. 

For those who came in late, Salman and Bunty used to be the thickest of friends. But then they had a massive fall-out. As everyone knows Salman's former friends are never forgiven. Any sign of the 'B' (for Bunty) word and Salman baulks. 

Shah Rukh was apparently all dressed and ready to arrive at the venue at 12 midnight. For reasons best known to him he changed his mind. 
These Khan superstars' no-show apart Sridevi's party was a grand success. All her female colleagues like Hema Malini, Juhi Chawla, Sushmita Sen, Shilpa Shetty and her co-stars Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor to Vinod Khanna to Anil Kapoor (with wife Sunita) had turned up. Tennis champ Mahesh Bhupati with wife Lara Dutta rubbed shoulders with media baron Subhash Chandra. The political brigade was represented by such heavyeights as Praful Patel and Salman Khurshid. 

It was gratifying for the guests to see Boney Kapoor's daughter Anshula from his first marriage present at the party. 
Says a prominent guest, Boney's son Arjun was also supposed to be at the part. But Arjun's shooting in Chennai for 2 States got delayed because of rains and he couldn't make it. Boney's sister (whose son is being launched by Akshay Kumar) couldn't make it at the last minute because of a medical emergency in the family. However Sanjay Kapoor and his wife Mahip were present. 

The party was a resounding success. 

Says a VIP invitee, It went on until 3. 30 am. I'd say the highlight was the 7-minute show-reel on Sridevi that Amar Singh had gotten made. It traced Sridevi's career from a child artiste to the most recent cover-shoot for Vogue magazine.

read more...

Balki or Boney? Sridevi is unsure of her next step

After the triumph that's English Vinglish, what next ? That's the question which haunts Sridevi's career. 

Both her husband Boney Kapoor and her English Vinglish producer R Balki are keen to produce another film with Sridevi immediately. But the lady, perhaps spoilt for choices, is undecided. 

Says a source close to Sridevi, She is not against doing another film right away. But she wants her next film to be as special. She is waiting for both to come up with a script that would take her beyond English Vinglish. Both Boney and Balki are welcome to come up with the required script. Sri is game

Plans of casting her opposite the Big B in a film directed by Balki have been put on hold. 

Says a source close to Sridevi and her producer-husband Boney Kapoor, The intention is to take her 'comeback advantage' to another level. English Vinglish should and must not be a one-off success for Sridevi. 
We hear plans are now afoot to either cast her in a sequel to English Vinglish or for Boney Kapoor to produce another film that would do justice to his wife's tremendous screen presence. 

Says our source, Both Balki and Boney, the 'B's in Sri's life, are on the same page on this issue. Balki would be only too happy 

Speaking right after the film's success Sridevi says, Right now I am in a daze. I've never in my life given so many interviews. I've attended more media events and been seen on more television shows in the past few weeks than my entire life. What I'd like is to take a break, ...spend time with my husband and daughters. I've only been seeing them sporadically. 

Sridevi left to attend the Bangkok premiere of English Vinglish. 

People have been calling Boneyji saying wonderful things. It's all so positive at the moment. I haven't thought of what I'd like do in my next film,  says the comeback queen.

read more...

The women who sizzled in Yash Chopra's Chiffon Sarees

Whatever the era, the quintessential Yash Chopra heroine remains the same...

Not only did Yash Chopra leave his legendary stamp on every film he made, every costume that his heroine draped also became iconic in its own domain.
Sridevi in Chandni

From the virgin white saree fluttering in the breeze to the tight-fitting churidaars that displayed the leading lady's curves, each and every fashion element that the legendary filmmaker introduced in his films went on to become a rage.
Madhuri Dixit in Dil To Pagal Hai

Interestingly, what Chopra's heroines wore on-screen somehow managed to exude the exact persona they were meant to portray in their films. In Dil To Pagal Hai, Madhuri Dixit's buttercup yellow salwar kameez made her exuberant personality shine through. 

Wrapped in her chiffon sarees, Rekha became the quintessential 'other woman' in Bollywood. The Chandni look became synonymous with Sridevi.
Several of Chopra's heroines essayed the bubbly girl-next-door. Naturally, Juhi Chawla showed up in baby pink and sunflower yellow salwars to let her inner child giggle aloud in Darr.
Sadhana in Waqt

In Waqt, the sophisticated Sadhana was given perfectly coiffed hairstyles and elegant jewellery. Clothes too became an essential element of the moviemaking process, helping the director paint the perfect portrait of his heroine.
Rekha in Silsila

And the foremost reason why 'the Yash Chopra look' worked like magic is because of his heroines' extreme professionalism just like their director to work under extreme conditions. The bandwagon of ladies braved the icy cold winds on the snow-capped Alps in very little other than the chiffon saree and their charm.
Preity Zinta in Veer Zaara

Little has changed over the years when it comes to the great director's style of filmmaking. No wonder then that chiffon French or desi will forever stay associated with evergreen romantic Yash Chopra.

Ten things you will never forget about Yash Chopra
Just like some of the most famous dialogues from Yash Chopra's films, here is a list of 10 most unforgettable aspects about the legendary filmmaker and his movies

1 The iconic song Aye meri Zohra jabeen, tujhe maloom nahi, in his directorial venture Waqt released in 1965. The song was picturised on the late Balraj Sahani and Achala Sachdev. The film went on to become a blockbuster and the song a cult hit. Till today the song is played and danced to at all major celebrations. 
2 Yash Chopra's films like Deewar, Trishul and Kala Patthar established Amitabh Bachchan as the angry young man in Bollywood. 
3 Chopra is known as the founder of films based on the 'lost and found' formula with Waqt, which later on was made famous by Manmohan Desai with many films. 
4 He formed Yash-Raj Films with Rajesh Khanna as partner with Daag. The banner remains to be one of the most respected and the biggest in the country till date with many blockbuster films to their credit. 
5 Made one of the most controversial films of all time in the form of Silsila, which had the real life triangle love story of Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Jaya Bacchan on screen. The film was released in 1981 and is still much talked about. 

6 Chopra will always be remembered for his iconic songs during festivals. Be it a wedding song, a sangeet song or a mehendi track, Yash Chopra's films had all that and more. His Holi song in Silsila is still played during Holi celebrations till this date. 
7 He made Lamhe in 1991 with Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, which is said to be his best work till date. The film, as most critics put, was way ahead of time. 
8 He played a very big part is establishing Shah Rukh Khan as the superstar with his film Darr and his son Aditya Chopra directed Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, followed by Dil To Pagal Hai.

9 Aditya Chopra, son of Yash Chopra made his directorial debut with Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge which is still running is theatres and remains to be the best contemporary romantic film till date. 
10 Yash Chopra will always be remembered for introducing the Swiss Alps in his films like Silsila, DDLJ, Chandni, Lamhe, etc. So, synonymous is his love for the country that they have named a train, a railway station and even a lake after his name. Not to forget an entire suite in a hotel. 

read more...

I don't want to do something which makes me feel uncomfortable: Sridevi

Sridevi is happy with her new taste of success with "English Vinglish". The veteran actress believes the simple story of a housewife stuck with the woes of the English language as well as expressive screenplay has helped the movie strike a chord with the audiences. 

Sridevi is especially glad that it didn't take any melodrama to attract viewers. 

" 'English Vinglish' is simple; that's why people like it. The film has simplicity and sensitivity. There is no melodrama. Some things have been conveyed just through expressions and no lines," Sridevi told in an interview. 

The 49-year-old, who has scorched the silver screen after 15 years and struck gold, is surprised at the praise that the movie, directed by first-timer Gauri Shinde, has garnered. 

"I am not feeling anything at the moment. I am still dazed. I am not understanding what is happening around me. I guess it will still take some time to realise it," she said of the hoopla around the movie, which was made at a budget of Rs.15 crore and managed to mint over Rs.40 crore within two weeks of its release. 
But the economics of the movie is not for her to understand, says the actress, wife of Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor. 

"After the release of the movie, the box-office numbers are the distributors' and producers' domain. For me, of course, the success of the film matters, but the first thing is how the audiences are going to react and receive the film. The success then follows," she said. 

In the past, Sridevi achieved success with films like "Sadma", "Nagina", "Mr. India", "Chandni", "ChaalBaaz", "Lamhe", "Khuda Gawah" and "Judaai" , after which she took a long break in 1997 to devote time to her family. 

But the success of "English Vinglish" seems fresh to her. 

"You can never get used to success. Every time it is a new thing. Every time you feel different," said Sridevi. 

She plans to continue her acting career now, but says she will select her roles with caution. 

"It's all about the script. I don't want to do something which makes me feel uncomfortable. It should suit my image and age," she said. 
She also takes her husband's advice on her projects. 

"He (Boney) is really involved. We share everything. With 'English Vinglish', he also read the script... We think alike and this makes it easier," she said. 

Sridevi is yet to sign anything new after "English Vinglish". 

"I am supposed to hear some scripts. I am still promoting 'English Vinglish'. So once I am done with this, I will see some more," she said. 

Given her refreshing comeback, the audiences too are waiting for some more from Sridevi!

read more...

After Sridevi, It's Urmila's time to make a Comeback

The still-very gorgeous Sridevi made a grand come back with 'English Vinglish' which was appreciated by the people and the critics. The film is still running very strong. Here lost and forgotten Urmila Matondkar too makes a special kind of come back. She won't be seen on the screen this time, But will be heard. That too on a cartoon character.

Nikhil Advani's Delhi Safari is an animated feature film in which Urmila Matondkar dubbed for a cartoon character. Unlike in Hollywood, Nikhil Advani has made a film this time with animated character's and has used voices of Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar, Govinda and Boman Irani.

When asked about her real comeback on the screen, Urmila very politely replied "Yes, even I want to make a comeback. But the kind of body of work that I have done earlier I would only want to choose scripts that I have not done before. Let's see when it happens."

I think we have to agree with Urmila here, As she has given Hit's in a row once upon a time. Be it Rangeela, Judaai, Khoobsurat, Satya, Bhoot or women centric Ek Hasina Thi. Her performance has been praised every time by classes and the masses as well.

Urmila started her career as a Child Artist with films like Masoom. She also did films like 'Narsimha' and long-forgotten 'Aa Gale Lag Jaa'. She was re-introduced in a bold avatar by Ram Gopal Verma in 'Rangeela'.

This was her third innings in Bollywood which ended with Himesh Reshammiya's Karzzz. Urmila played the negative role that was originally enacted by Simi Garewal.

Let's hope her fourth inning in Bollywood gives her a mind blowing career just like it did to Sridevi. Urmila and Sridevi worked together in 'Judaai' which was a blockbuster.

read more...

After tepid start, English Vinglish gathers steam

A good story always sells - and "English Vinglish" is proof of it. After a lukewarm response in the first week, the simple story with a big message, picked up at the box office in its second week with homemakers, youngsters and professionals queuing up.

Released on Oct 5, the Sridevi-starrer was hailed by critics but initial footfalls didn't match up.

Word of mouth publicity indeed helped and people of all age groups are taking a liking to "English Vinglish", a perfect comeback vehicle for Sridevi, whose outstanding performance as a simple housewife struggling with English has wowed fans. 

From the 60 to 70 percent footfalls in its first weekend, "English Vinglish" went on to register 90 to 100 percent during the second weekend, said capital-based Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas.

"Cinemas were jampacked for 'English Vinglish' during the second week. Senior citizens especially are coming to watch the movie for Sridevi," Sahay told.

Directed by debutant Gauri Shinde, the movie has grossed approximately Rs.45.78 crore worldwide in 10 days. 

Its opening weekend collection was a gross Rs.27 crore worldwide. But by Oct 14, it made Rs.28.78 crore net in India, and approximately Rs.17 crore overseas.

"This isn't the kind of film you expect to be houseful from the first show. It's a family drama and is picked up by word of mouth. The Hindi version of 'English Vinglish' was made for Rs.15 crore, so we have certainly recovered our money," producer R. Balki, also Shinde's husband, told.

Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines added: "The film is doing excellent business at the box office. The film has picked up by word of mouth in the second weekend, and will survive for a longer period."

The film received a good response in the south as well. First week collections from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh generated Rs.2.52 crore. It released in 147 screens in Tamil Nadu - of these, 110 screened the Tamil version. 

Chennai-based trade analyst Trinath said: "In Tamil Nadu, 'English Vinglish' had a tremendous opening because of Tamil actor Ajith's presence (cameo in the Tamil and Telugu versions). Fans of the actor came to watch their superstar with yesteryear actress Sridevi." 

No wonder then that the movie has proved to be a warm welcome for Sridevi, who was away from the silver screen for 15 years. 
As Shashi, a laddoo-making housewife who grows on self-confidence on her visit to New York, the actress has touched many hearts. Shashi feels tempted to learn English after her daughter snubs her incessantly, and her husband humiliates and ignores her unknowingly on a day-to-day basis. Shashi wants to feel empowered, and does so with conviction.

"They say actions speak louder than words, and in this case, actions speak louder than English words. Language no bar, age no bar; this is a movie that transcends the taboos of this aspirational Indian society," Kavya Mishra, 25, told.

The movie also serves as a lesson for children who bully their parents, said Anvesha Singh, a mother of two.

"These days children are very well exposed to technology and they try to bully parents by saying 'You don't know this or that', 'Let me be', which hurt parents. I hope after watching this movie, children become more sensitive in treating their parents," said Singh. 

Ashok Sethi, 54, loved the scene where Sridevi says "Man cooks, it is an art! Women cooks, it is a duty!".

"It has really made me appreciate my wife's efforts to cook new things every day just to see a smile on my face after I return home from a tiring day at work. And these are things we often ignore," he said.

read more...

Sridevi to inaugurate 14th Mumbai Film Festival

The vivacious superstar Sridevi will light the ceremonial lamp to mark the auspicious occasion on October 18, 2012 at the opening ceremony of the city's most eagerly awaited cultural event, the 14th Mumbai Film Festival, presented by Reliance Entertainment and American Express and organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image.

Sridevi recently made a comeback on silver screen with 'English Vinglish' directed by Gauri Shinde which is still going very strong among the viewer's. The Critics raved about the gorgeous Sridevi's performance by highlighting the film with appreciations.

Many of them also called English Vinglish as a 'Perfect Come-Back' for Sridevi. Even stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan wished Sridevi with a grand welcome. The film was also released in Tamil Language and got good reviews.

read more...

Sridevi's Endeavour to learn english encourages Bihari Dalit Girls

Speaking fluent English is not only a big deal for a Maharashtrian housewife as shown in Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish. The film's message of overcoming a linguistic barrier has gripped Bihar's college-going Dalit girls who are rooting for Sridevi in English Vinglish in the way cricket lovers cheered Aamir Khan in Lagaan.

Girls en masse from various colleges in Patna and neighbouring towns of Bihar have watched the film and are motivated into improving their spoken English.

Suman Sinha a leading Patna exhibitor says, It's not just housewives. Young unmarried college-going girls feel the same sense of inferiority that Sridevi experiences in English Vinglish because of a lack of fluency in English. They are coming forward in huge numbers to see the film and going back with the determination to join English-improvement classes.

Delighted by the turn of events English Vinglish producer R Balki said, That our film has influenced a section of the audience to improve its language is awesome. English Vinglish is not just about learning English. It's about the determination that the lack of a familiarity will not stop people's aspirations and dreams from growing.

Adds Sridevi, To see our film make such an impact makes me happier about its success. This is the real success of English Vinglish.

read more...

Sridevi's Husband is now Tabu's Too

The brilliant Adil Husain so convincing as Sridevi's unintentionally cruel husband in English Vinglish, is now going to be seen as Tabu's husband in Ang Lee's The Life Of Pi, which releases in English, Hindi and other dubbed languages on November 23. 

In fact at the premiere if English Vinglish last week Adil, who is a seasoned stage actor and acting teacher trained at the National School of Drama, sat and watched the film with Tabu. 

Says the actor fondly, Yes, I met up with my latest screen-wife at the English Vinglish premiere. Tabu is very special, just like Sridevi. In fact my first screen-wife Vidya Balan from Ishqiya, was also there at the premiere. So I got a chance to meet up with my three glorious screen-wives all at the same venue. It was a pleasure working with all three of them. 

Adil who never craved for a career in movie acting, has lately shot for The Life Of Pi in Taiwan. Just how Adil bagged the coveted role in Ang Lee's film makes an interesting story. A very dear friend of mine Dilip Shankar was the casting director. 

He asked if I was interested in a screen adaptation of The Life Of Pi.
I said, sure. Then at around midnight one evening I got a call from Ang Lee's casting director who said the director wanted to meet me. I said, 'Wow, where, when? ' Ang Lee and I met at the Taj Lands End. The first thing I asked him is why he wanted to film this novel. 

It seemed like such an impossible novel to film. It still does. I don't know how he managed it. I went to Taiwan to discuss details and then we shot there. 

The way the role of Sridevi's husband came to Adil makes an even more interesting story. I was shooting at an inaccessible place when the casting director of English Vinglish asked me to shoot two scenes from the film on a video camera and send it to the director. 

Gauri Shinde saw the scenes and I was on. That I was playing Sridevi's husband was entirely a stroke of luck. I am fortunate to have bagged the role. I know so many husbands like the guy in English Vinglish. I didn't try to act. I behaved how I've seen friends behave with their wives. 

Luckily for Adil his own wife in real life has no such grievances. We are very happily married,  informs the actor who is at the moment kicked about his next film, Partho Sengupta's Sunrise. 
Says Adil, It's not a big Bollywood blockbuster. I am really not interested in overnight fame. Or mass popularity. I love to act. I've been doing so on stage for many years now. Cinema is just one more avenue to explore my passion for acting. I am glad I am being noticed in English Vinglish. I want to do roles that are layered and enigmatic, like the one in Sriram Raghavan's Agent Vinod.

Adil is uncomfortable with Bollywood's lack of protocol. In Hollywood even Penelope Cruz has to audition for The Pirates Of The Caribbean. In Hindi cinema no one asks the stars to audition. I am glad that every role I've done so far has come to after auditions. 

read more...

Sridevi should continue to act

Filmmaker R. Balki, who has produced Sridevi's comeback film "English Vinglish", says the actress must continue to work in the film industry for the sake of cinema.

"I think she was born to act and such talent is very rare in the country and she should continue acting. For the sake of cinema, she should continue acting, " Balki said here Friday in an interview.

"English Vinglish", directed by Balki's wife, Gauri Shinde, brought back Sridevi's magic on the big screen after 15 years. The movie has received acclaim from all over.

The husband-wife duo have credited Sridevi for the success of the film.

"She (Sridevi) is awesome, she is amazing, she is the best. I think a lot of credit goes to her for making the film what it is and I love her, " Shinde said.

Meanwhile, Shinde says her only aim was to make a respectable film and she focussed her entire energy on that.

"I only focussed on the script, shooting and the editing and kept changing it until it was satisfactory. My motive was to make a good film so that I don't feel ashamed and then result is left to other people. I am happy with the reaction, " Shinde said.

"English Vinglish" released Oct 5 to a superb reception at the box office.

read more...

Sridevi is down with high fever

A birdie informs that Sridevi is under the weather and is running a high fever

As she had been tied up with the promotions of her recent flick, the veteran actress got bogged down by overexertion.

read more...

Why all Gay Guys Love Sridevi

The actress's snake dance in 'Nagina' is a huge hit with homosexual men, they even emulate her steps on dance floors

Her snake dance in Nagina is a huge hit with gay men, they even emulate those movements on the dance floor and her over the top style, like in Hawa Hawaai, is spot on with them

When compiling an alternative guide to cinema for Bombay Dost magazine, I had, without much uncertainty, included Harmesh Malhotra's Nagina, a cult classic from the 1980s. It did not have any queer characters, nor was there a homosexual theme, subtextual or otherwise, embedded in the narrative. 

However, the film did star Sridevi, in one of her most iconic roles, as an icchadhaari nagin (literally shape-shifting snake-woman) who sporadically breaks into an almost infectious dance, writhing on the floor, flashing her imported coloured lenses, and striking like a serpent at onlookers, tantriks and snake-charmers alike.

In that moment, so peculiar to Hindi masala cinema, a gay icon was born purely out of the irrepressibility of Sridevi's screen persona.
In Toronto-based writer Vivek Shraya's tenderly crafted homage to his own childhood, God Loves Hair, there is a story called Pervert in which, in a hilarious moment, a young Shraya accosts his cousin with a Nagina hand movement. 

The story is accompanied by a full-page illustration of Sridevi by artist Juliana Neufeld, and it is like a 'found art' moment in a rather precious little queer book. When he toured India with the book in 2010, Shraya was rather surprised to discover how huge Sridevi was with Indian gay men. 

I was so in love with her as a kid that it (was) fascinating to know that this is something that is common for gay brown boys,  he said.
The guilty pleasure of being in love with Sridevi afflicts gay men to this day. In decidedly bourgeois house parties, where dapper gay men sip chardonnay out of tall glasses, dressed in dinner jackets to fend off the cold draught from the air-conditioning, the strains of the song 'Main teri dushman...' from Nagina are enough to send a quiver down their collective spine. 

Before long, the straight-acting is given up for some delicious Sridevi-style shimmying on the dance floor replete with hisses, glares and darting hand- movements -a few stolen moments that can be at once cringe-inducing and strangely liberating.

Sri-Magic
It's this camp, over-the-top persona that Sridevi brought to her roles that has catapulted her into pole position as one of the more prominent pop-cultural icons of the past two decades. She was unlike the other tragic figures that gay men fawned over, like Meena Kumari or Judy Garland. Her magic lay in her cinematic effulgence.

One of her most famous production numbers was a sequence from Mr India. Sridevi's bumbling scribe has penetrated the baddies' den, but instead of sidling away to the sidelines, she decides to take the guise of the most conspicuously flamboyant person in the room, Ms Hawa Hawaai.
She sports ostrich feathers, figure-hugging gold lame, and unflattering make-up that would douse a lesser actress' elfin charm, but here, this sartorial inelegance draws out Sridevi's three-dimensional presence: comic and self-deprecating, but also impossibly alluring. 

She hobbles across the floor in six-inch heels at first, before the high-pitched strains of Kavita Subramaniam's vocals 'kick' her into her stride as the high-voltage electric diva rising from amidst the kitsch and the corn. 

Indian drag queens, long accustomed to parley out mujras made famous by the Rekhas and the Madhuri Dixits, find themselves out of their depth when it comes to Sridevi's 'items', because Sridevi brought to her performances an ardent physicality that couldn't be easily replicated.

Sri-Physicality
When she is slapped by Anil Kapoor in Lamhe, she doesn't fall simpering at her paramour's feet, instead she breaks into a Jane Fonda-esque exercise video. Constantly harangued by her relatives in Chaalbaaz, she is allowed a moment at the very end of a lengthy tandav, when an adavu gone horribly wrong ends up with her slapping her oppressor. 

In Naaka Bandi she plays tribute to three generations of actresses, before insouciantly announcing herself as the definite article, `Main lagti hoon... Sridevi lagti hoon.` 

It's this unbridled chutzpah, and unusual personality that went against the grain of what actresses on the Indian screen have long portrayed, that has endeared Sridevi to people who sought out parallel persuasions themselves.
The adulation continues. In a harrowing episode of his reality show Satyamev Jayate, actor Aamir Khan interviews victims of child sexual abuse. The line-up includes gay activist Harrish Iyer who recounts his own unsavoury experiences and the years of self-doubt and shame that he has had to overcome. As if to ease the unremitting tension, Khan proposes a diversion, a special surprise for Iyer. 

When his favourite actress Sridevi walks in, in a staid brown sari, the audience bursts out in applause on cue, but Iyer's open-mouthed 'Aiyyo', with its mix of joy, surprise, even instant catharsis, is an unrehearsed expression of this intense identification with an icon he shares with many others.

Lines from Sridevi movies continue to be part of the lexicon amongst gay men, even trite phrases like, 'You understand? You better understand!' from a regressive film like Laadla. 

Her 15 years away from the arc-lights have been like a kind of self-imposed exile, notwithstanding the occasional show-stopper appearances on the fashion ramp. For her fans, it has certainly been a long wait.

Sri-winsome
Now, in her new film, English Vinglish, a repertoire of fetching Sabyasachi saris and some pitch-perfect acting help Sridevi create one of her most winsome characters out of the decidedly austere housewife Shashi, who comes into her own when she takes time off from her wifely duties to learn English in Manhattan.

There are scenes that still offer us glimpses of the old Sridevi and her larger-than-life turns from the past. When she takes a difficult sip from her first glass of wine and screws her face up, we're reminded of her frizz-haired Chandni as she cavorts drunkenly across the snow-capped Alps even while insisting that cognac is not alcohol. 

As Shashi sits timidly alongside septuagenarian Amitabh Bachchan on her first international flight, we are transported to the time the two actors roamed Afghanistan on horseback in Khuda Gawah, chasing the coveted prize of a speared goat carcass in a thrilling buzkashi encounter. 
When she breaks into an impromptu jig impersonating Michael Jackson, we remember her production numbers from Chaalbaaz where she channelised much more of the King of Pop than just a chiselled nose.

The new Sridevi is more than just va-va-voom. In a particular scene in English Vinglish, students at the language class discover that their teacher hasn't been in for a few days because he has broken up with his boyfriend.

It's a Mind Your Language setting and the token Pakistani taxi-driver (played by theatre actor Sumeet Vyas) mouths off on the cavalier attitude gay men have towards relationships before Shashi interrupts him and delivers a homily on inclusiveness.

Although it is an unsubtle little scene, it still manages to drive home its point, and certainly, on Sridevi's part, it's almost like a belated nod to the millions of gay men scattered across the globe who idolise her. 

The gay teacher, who enters at this point, clad in a largish 'grief'coat and dark glasses to conceal days of bawling his eyes out, certainly seems to appreciate the gesture. 

If you look around, the whooping and cheering gay men in the multiplex audience, some of whom have watched the film a few times already in its first weekend, are testimony to Sridevi's enduring legacy as an alternative icon.

The writer is a playwright who runs the theatre appreciation website, Stage Impressions.

Other icons > Actresses who captured the gay imagination
MEENA KUMARI: The self-sacrificing persona of Meena Kumari had created a whole new sub-culture in the gay desi ghettos. Her mask-like face in the classic Pakeezah was a doppelgänger for the gay man as eternal victim, and their self-flagellating self- regard. 

The actress lends astonishing credence to the character of Sahib Jaan, the courtesan in the proverbial gilded cage, at once a young effervescent girl with the right amount of lachak in her stride, and a crushed woman with fragile porcelain-like features provided a specious virginal glow by Lata Mangeshkar's magnificent vocals. 

Gay men have also appropriated as their own the magnificent mujra set-pieces from the film, which includes the pulsating 'Thare rahiyo'.
REKHA: Her soul diva persona and Asha's assured delivery of Khaiyyam's magical ghazals in Umrao Jaan make this a heady alternative to the tired tales of the courtesans of yore. 

Umrao (Rekha) is not quite the fallen woman, and not quite the damned one, and in her many mujras in the film, she demonstrates a flair for the most dexterously floral hand gestures that have for long become an essential part of any desi drag performer's repertoire.
MADHURI DIXIT: For some inexplicable reason, Bhansali's shrill calendar-art version of the Sarat Chandra Chatterjee novel, Devdas, has acquired a cult following among not just gay men adamantly spouting its melodramatic lines like it were latter-day Shakespeare, but also with drag performers for whom emulating Madhuri Dixit in 'Maar daala...' is now de rigueur (obligatory).
SMITA PATIL: In Mandi, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil, doyennes of Indian parallel cinema, bring in a frisky intimacy to the relationship between two women, one a brothel madam Rukmini Bai and the other, her prized ward Zeenat (Patil), as they take turns doing each other's hair, while humming the film's signature nazm by Mir Taqi Mir, 'Zabaanein badalti hai', while generally sprawled on one another. More than Azmi, Patil is one of the quintessentional fire-in-her-belly performers that gay men are especially fond of.
HELEN: To gay audiences, Helen has always appeared to revel in her 'otherness'. As Suzy, or Lily, or any other silk- stockinged alter-ego, she's always the quintessential bad girl who transgresses, smokes, dances with gay abandon, wearing the most exuberantly mounted costumes you'd want to dive straight into if only to escape into a world where anything goes, where being different is good, and you'd even take a bullet in your heart for that.
KAREENA KAPOOR: Her film Chameli largely takes place on a single set where an investment banker (Rahul Bose) is forced to take shelter from the rain, with only a prostitute (Kapoor) on the prowl for company. Characters arrive and leave as in a play, including the transsexual Haseena (Kabir Sadanand) who is about to elope with a young man. 

A drenched Kapoor dazzles in a red and blue sari, and makes some positive noises about gay couples, which includes that iconic line, `Apna to ek hi usool hai saab, koi bhi ho, kaisa bhi ho, bas pyar hona chahiye.

read more...

What! Did Sridevi refuse to work with Big B?

Actress reportedly refused to work with Amitabh Bachchan in the past 

A yesteryear birdie chirps to say that Amitabh Bachchan may have done a cameo in Sridevi's comeback film but there was a time in the '80s when Sri used to refuse to work with the Big B 

This was when she was the reigning queen. With films like Nagina, Chandni, Chalbaaz and Lamha in her kitty, she was keen to do films that focussed on her and were women-centric.

Working with AB meant that the script would be tailored for him as the hero with the heroine playing second fiddle. Well, all that is in the past. Now Sri would love to work with AB. How times change! There is nothing permanent in B-Town. What left Sridevi terrified?

The Bollywood diva was left terrified after she encountered a man, who was dressed up as a groom and ran towards her with a garland in his hand.

It happened when she was shooting for "English Vinglish" in Pune, when a man dressed like a groom chased her in the middle of the road with a garland in his hand.

The actress revealed that she was terrified until she realised that he was only a fan who was about to get married but saw her on the road and left his wedding just to say 'hello' to her. 
The actress has won accolades for her comeback role as an Indian housewife and her battle with the English language. 

In real life too, Sridevi faces language problem.

"I am a parrot. I just mug up my lines and I have done that all my life as I am not that fluent in any of the languages whether it is Hindi, English or Malayalam, " she told Oye 104.8 FM. 

read more...

Arjun Kapoor and Sridevi coming together in a Boney's film

Exhausted, happy and confused... That's how Boney Kapoor describes his state of mind at the moment. While the exhaustion and the happiness are understandable, considering his better-half Sridevi's triumphant return to the marquee with English Vinglish, the confusion comes from question that now plagues the producer 

What next? That's the questions which haunts Boney. 

Says a source close to the producer, Boney has not produced a film since Wanted in 2009. True, Milenge Milenge came a year later. But that was almost completed before Wanted. Since then Boney got busy with setting his production company's finances in order. 
When that was sorted, his wife Sridevi's comeback film English Vinglish began shooting. Boney was with her throughout its shooting in New York and then while she promoted the film, Boney was by her side. 

He had hoped to resume production immediately after the release of English Vinglish and had given Anees Bazmi a deadline to finish scripting the sequel to No Entry with Salman Khan. 

Says the source, Boney is stricken with guilt about the failure to launch his wife and son. Boney's son Arjun Kapoor had made it clear he would be launched by an outside banner before he did his dad's film. 

But nonetheless Boney feels he owed a launch to his son. As for Sridevi he just couldn't find the right script for her re-launch. Now that English Vinglish has re-consolidated the Sri magic Boney is raring to start Mr India 2. 

When questioned on the multiplicity of choices Boney says, It's a happy confusion. I've never been happier. My son's career has taken off with Ishaqzaade and I am definitely doing the remake of Okkadu with him. 

My wife's just had the perfect comeback and I am most certainly doing a film with her. I owe it to her. Then there is No Entry Mein Entry which will start as soon as Salman gives the dates. 
The No Entry director Anees Bazmi says he's waiting for Boney's time. He has been very tied up with the release of English Vinglish. He has assured me we'll sit down and work out the details of No Entry Mein Entry as soon as he has time.

read more...