Senior actor pays ultimate tribute, calls Sridevi the ‘female Amitabh Bachchan’ of her time – Exclusive! – Times of India
“Such was Sridevi ji’s charisma that during the peak of her career she used to be called the ‘female Amitabh Bachchan’ by the leading dailies of that time. This was enough to cement her status as Bollywood’s first female superstar. With the slew of successes coming one after another, she was one of the very few female actors of that time who could single-handedly drive a film’s box office run. I had once read that she was even offered a small role in the Hollywood classic ‘Jurassic Park’ by none other than Steven Spielberg and you know what she said? She had refused the offer saying that this role didn’t suit her stardom. So, you can imagine how things were at that time,” shares an excited Kharaj.
Kharaj who has seen this industry from a close quarter for years also believes Sridevi was like a chameleon when it came to her wide range of roles. “If you closely look Sridevi’s filmography is widely varied, with roles that saw her play almost everything – from an amnesiac woman who was regressing back to being a child (Sadma), or a snake woman (Nagina). I read in one article late director Yash Chopra, who had directed her in Chandni and Lamhe, once claimed that Sridevi had this special quality of immersing herself in any role. Whatever films I have watched one thing I have noticed that whenever the camera is on, the star inside Sridevi is gone, and whatever character she has been offered would take her place. There so many stories about her commitment and passion towards the craft. It is a rare trait that made her a favourite among many top filmmakers of her time. I wish we could have seen in more films now, especially when we are seeing a sea change in content,” adds the celebrated Bengali actor.
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