Paayel Sarkar: Sridevi ji ruled the industry in an era when it was explicitly dominated by male actors – Exclusive! – Times of India

“People often talk about her graceful dancing skills but I think Sridevi’s comic timing was also a lesson for any actor. Her sensitive portrayals of women thrown into challenging situations are simply unmatched. Who can forget the 1983 film ‘Sadma’? I have watched it so many times. She will always be remembered for her naturalistic acting abilities as well. With as many as 300 films in her illustrious career, she literally toppled the dynamics of our male-dominated industry and positioned herself as an actor who didn’t need any male co-star to boost her career. There are so many things to talk about Sridevi ji. The list will go on and on. She has always been an inspiration for generations of female actors and I am no exception,” says the actress adding that films like ‘Sadma’, ‘Himmatwala’, ‘Chandni’, ‘Mr. India’ brought out the versatility inside her.

Speaking about how her dancing skills have been etched in our hearts the actress added, “The songs like ‘Naino Mein Sapna’ and ‘Taki O Taki’ from ‘Himmatwala’ had introduced Hindi cinema to Sridevi ji’s incredible dancing skills.”
When asked about her favourite and most lovable pair she has seen Paayel says Sridevi’s pairing with Anil Kapoor is always something special, “Films like Mr. India (1987), Lamhe (1991), Laadla (1994), and Judaai (1997) had left both audience and critics in awe because of her stellar performance and Sridevi and Anil Kapoor’s chemistry as an on-screen couple. How can we forget Sridevi ji’s iconic song ‘Hawa Hawai’ from Mr. india?”

Paayel also feels, “As electrifying as her on screen presence has been, Sridevi ji was so reserved and loved her privacy letting her work speak. This is something every actor should learn from her, especially when in this era of social media we often forget to take care of our privacy and personal space.”