Mumbai: Touted as the first female ‘superstar’ of Bollywood, Sridevi, ruled the silver screen in the 80s and 90s, but the actress says she has never let success go to her head.
She made her big screen debut as a child artist in Southern films (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada) before bagging her first lead role in a Tamil movie “Moondru Mudichu” in 1976.
The actress followed it up with a couple of films with South superstars Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. She stepped into Hindi cinema in early ’80s and gave some memorable performances in movies such as “Chaalbaaz”, “Sadma”, “Lamhe”, “Nagina” , “Mr India” and “Khuda Gawah”.
“I have never felt that I am a star. It never came to my mind. The day you start feeling it, you will move back (in your career). For me stardom is feeling happiness and being positive,” Sridevi told PTI.
“Stardom is not that you feel like I am a star and think I have done this or that. The day you feel that it will be a disaster.”
The 53-year-old actress says her fans’ love and the faith of her producers have kept her grounded.
“I am thankful to my fans and producers that I am on my toes all the time to do better. The day you feel you have achieved it all or you are something then you are gone and that thought never came to me. And it should not come also.”
Sridevi started her film journey at the age of four, but the actress says she had never planned it.
“I was so thrilled and my mother was also excited. When I came on the sets for the first time it was like a dream. We just thought we would do just one film but the offers kept coming. And soon I started doing two shifts a day. I was enjoying the process.”
Being in the film industry for close to three decades, Sridevi feels the place has become more professional today.
“They (industry people) have started valuing time, scripts are being given in advance and everything has become technically advanced today.
“They (writers) are coming up with different and interesting characters for women that are bold and challenging and that is amazing. People are willing to produce and take chances.”
Sridevi returned to celluloid in 2013 with “English Vinglish” after a hiatus of 15 years.
She will now be seen in Ravi Udyawar’s “Mom”, which opens in cinema houses on July 7.
PTI