Riding high on success

‘Mom’, Sridevi’s second flick after her comeback, is garnering rave reviews for her performance in the film. Not many actress has enjoyed the same success as Sridevi in second innings in the Bollywood

They say every champion fighter has one good fight left in him. Some champions have probably that one fight always left in them. Sridevi is proving to be one such fighter. Most of us fans recall how she ruled the silver screen in the 80s and then to a certain extent in the 90s.

However, many will also recall how in the last part of her career she got over shadowed by Madhuri Dixit. A choice of some bad films like ‘Army’ and ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’ makes the fan recall how her going out was not exactly “going out” in style till an unexpected ‘Judaai’ came at the box office, which raked in the moolah. Given the epic career she had till ‘Judaai’, you could still say she would have probably wanted to end her first innings with something even bigger but a hit is a hit at end of the day.

We can probably conclude that maybe the way she has started her second innings it is part her intelligent choosing of good content and part god's way of giving one of our finest actresses her fair due. ‘English Vinglish’ came out of the blue and remains Gauri Shinde's better work.

‘English Vinglish’ like ‘Judaai’ opened to a lukewarm response but eventually with word of mouth publicity became a winner at box office. Today it looks like a very intelligent choice but if you travel back in time you will have to give it to Sridevi for such a gutsy call. Most superstars while trying a comeback or a revival go with big banners, established directors and a massive hype engine. Sure, ‘English Vinglish’ did have some promotions but not many would have bet on the BO expectations from this movie.

How many women superstars would have put their comeback plans with a character, who is into the business of selling laddoos and is ridiculed for her low English speaking skills. Ask yourself how many big superstar actresses would have taken the call of making a comeback with an Aadil Hussain as the hero.

Trust me, not many. Look at Madhuri's choice of comeback movies. They were backed up by A-lister banners. A super hype was created but the end products were duds as ‘Gulab Gang’ and ‘Aaja Nachle’. Today sitting at home on a lazy afternoon, which one will you prefer to watch – ‘English Vinglish’ or ‘Aaja Nachle’. And I must say no offence to Madhuri.

Over the years the climax speech of Amitabh in ‘Baaghban’ has been appreciated a lot but ask yourself was that speech when Sridevi asks a self-obsessed husband and a totally spoilt selfish daughter to give her due respect any less a cinematic effort. That speech was not aggressive, vulgar or feministic. It was a dignified calling from a pained woman, who deserved better from her own family.

When self-realisation strikes, the husband ends up asking – “Do you love me?” to which a nonchalant reply comes – “If I did not I would not wear the saree you brought me for today's occasion.” Only Sridevi, dear fellows, could have switched gears like this in the climax.

Her recent film ‘Mom’, which also rose to fame from word of mouth yet again proved that ‘English Vinglish’ was no fluke. A predictable story, which is uplifted by a very well written screenplay, makes ‘Mom’ a very compelling watch and after watching it you will find it difficult to imagine any other actress in the role but Sridevi. ‘Mom’ does not have typical loud scenes where a mother seeking retribution like Ram Lakhan's Rakhee style challenges to the villains.

“Devki” of ‘Mom’ is all about silent, almost cold revenge, which might give those who are going to get it an almost confident assurance that all is well till the revenge strikes them. Some of the best dialogues in ‘Mom’ are delivered in a conversationer style. Sridevi was the character right from the word go, which made ‘Mom’ work.

Sridevi has played a remarkable comeback innings so far. A rare record for female superstars of Bollywood. If you do not believe me then ask Madhuri and Mumtaz, how difficult a comeback in Bollywood is for lady superstars.