Actor · Telugu cinema
Sridevi
Sridevi movies: 49 Telugu films on file, 1971–1994. Earliest on file: Shrimantudu (1971). Latest release: S. P. Parasuram (15 June 1994).
- Films on file
- 49 (49 as actor)
- Years on file
- 1971–1994
- Born
- 13 August 1963 · August birthdays (Wikidata)
- Died
- 24 February 2018
- Selected films on file
- Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, Oka Radha Iddaru Krishnulu, Govinda Govinda
- Record
- Q270691 on Wikidata
Sridevi (Sridevi Kapoor, born Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan) was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is often described as Indian cinema’s “first female superstar”. Telugu was her native language, and Telugu films make up a large part of her early career: we have 49 Telugu titles on record for her, from child roles in the early 1970s to S. P. Parasuram and Govinda Govinda in 1994. Her honours include the Padma Shri (2013), a National Film Award and a Nandi Award.
She was born on 13 August 1963 in Meenampatti, near Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, according to Wikipedia and Wikidata. Her father was a lawyer from Sivakasi and her mother came from Tirupati. She died in Dubai on 24 February 2018.
Telugu career
She first appeared in Telugu as a child in Maa Nanna Nirdoshi (1970), followed by roles in films such as Badi Panthulu and Bala Bharatam (1972). She played adult leads from the late 1970s. In Telugu her lead roles included K. Raghavendra Rao’s Padaharella Vayasu (1978) and Kondaveeti Simham, and she starred with N. T. Rama Rao in Vetagaadu, Sardar Papa Rayudu, Bobbili Puli and Justice Chowdary. She also worked with Akkineni Nageswara Rao in Premabhishekam, Bangaru Kanuka and Prema Kanuka, and with Krishna in films such as Kalavari Samsaram, Adavi Simhalu and Pachani Kapuram.
After she became a leading star in Hindi films, she returned to Telugu for a few major films. She starred opposite Nagarjuna in Aakhari Poratam (1988) and Govinda Govinda, and opposite Chiranjeevi in K. Raghavendra Rao’s fantasy Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990). Ram Gopal Varma’s chase thriller Kshana Kshanam (1991 on our record), opposite Venkatesh, won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and the Nandi Award for Best Actress.
Wider career
Her first adult lead was in K. Balachander’s Tamil film Moondru Mudichu (1976). Moondram Pirai (1982), in which she played a woman with amnesia, won her the Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and its Hindi remake Sadma (1983) brought national acclaim. Himmatwala (1983), a remake of the Telugu Ooruki Monagadu, established her in Hindi cinema. Her Hindi hits include Nagina (1986), Mr. India (1987), Chandni and ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991) and Khuda Gawah (1992). After a 15-year break she returned in English Vinglish (2012), and for Mom (2017), her 300th film, she received the National Film Award for Best Actress.
Awards and honours
- Padma Shri, 2013 (The Hindu).
- National Film Award for Best Actress for Mom, awarded after her death.
- Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and Nandi Award for Best Actress for Kshana Kshanam (Filmfare list; Nandi list).
- Filmfare Best Actress awards for Tamil and Hindi films, including Meendum Kokila and Lamhe, and a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Wikipedia.
- Kalasaraswathi Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh (1997) and the ANR National Award for 2018.
Where to watch her films
Of her Telugu films, only Premabhishekam (1981) has a streaming record with us: it is listed on Aha. No platform is on file for Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari or Kshana Kshanam. Catalogues change, so check the platform first.
Personal life
She married the film producer Boney Kapoor in 1996, according to Wikipedia, citing India Today. Their daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, are both actresses.
Sources: Wikipedia and the references it cites (linked above), Wikidata, and Tollywood Desk’s film records.
Career on file
Sridevi appears in 49 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 1971 to 1994. The earliest of them is Shrimantudu (1971), and the most recent release is S. P. Parasuram (1994). The most widely covered of these, counted by Wikipedia language editions, are Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990), Oka Radha Iddaru Krishnulu (1986) and Govinda Govinda (1994). Other recent releases on file are Kshana Kshanam (1991), Aakhari Poratam (1988) and Makutamleni Maharaju (1987).
Allu Rama Lingaiah is the most frequent co-star, sharing 21 films with Sridevi, followed by Kaikala Satyanarayana (19) and Akkineni Nageswara Rao (13). Among directors, K. Raghavendra Rao cast Sridevi most often, in 13 films; next are Kovelamudi Bapayya (5) and Tatineni Rama Rao (5). Music on 21 of them is by K. Chakravarthy, with K. V. Mahadevan (8) and Ilaiyaraaja (3) next. Vyjayanthi Movies produced five of them, more than any other banner on file. Across these films the credits on file name 21 different directors, 14 music directors and 65 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 33 of them; they average 146 minutes, and the longest is Bobbili Puli at 176 minutes. By decade the list splits into 1970s (11), 1980s (34) and 1990s (4). 1981 is the busiest single year, with nine films.
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.