The sudden demise of actor Sridevi is shocking. The “first female superstar of Indian cinema” leaves behind a rich legacy of films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and English. Malayalam cine goers will not forget her role (in her early career) in the Malayalam film Poompatta for which she won the Kerala State film award for “Best Child Artist”, in 1971.
K.A. Solaman,
Alappuzha, Kerala
Sridevi’s stellar performance in the much acclaimed Tamil film 16 Vayathinile (1977), arguably one of her best, alongside actor Kamal Haasan and directed by debutant Bharathiraja, is still considered to be the bellwether of films depicting rural lives and the travails of a teenage girl.
The film was critically acclaimed and went on to be a huge commercial success due to its wide appeal and still forms part of curriculum in film institutes for its multifaceted innovation. Besides bagging a National Award, the film was also the springboard for Rajnikanth, Bharathiraja and Ilaiyaraja in the entertainment industry.
It’s sad to note that none of the obituaries, by way of tweets or otherwise, has mentioned this film, which to me is the soul of not only Sridevi but also of countless teenage girls in rural India.
Premnath D.,
Melbourne, Australia
The sudden and untimely passing of the great actor is a monumental loss to the Indian film industry. Her versatility in a series of diverse roles has been universally acknowledged and admired as it reflected the ground realities.
She struck a reasonable balance between the demands of cinema as an art form and the dictates of the box office. Sridevi will continue to live through her works in the minds of her countless fans across the world and prove an inspiration for the next generation of artists.
Niranjan Sahoo,
Puri, Odisha
