Sridevi

Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan (13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), known professionally as Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films.

Cited as the "first female superstar" of Indian cinema, she was the recipient of various accolades, including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards, including a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, three Filmfare Awards South, Two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, One Kerala State Film Award, and a Nandi Award.

Sridevi's career spanned over 50 years in a wide range of genres.

She was known for her reticent and introverted off-screen personality, but headstrong and outspoken on-screen persona, often playing strong-willed women.

Sridevi was born at Meenampatti village near Sivakasi of present-day Tamil Nadu, India on 13 August 1963 to Ayyapan and Rajeswari.

Her father was a lawyer from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu while her mother was from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

Sridevi's mother tongue was Telugu, and she was fluent in Tamil.

She has a sister and two step-brothers.

"'I lost out on going to school and college life, but I got into the film industry and worked without a gap – from child actor, I went straight to heroine. There was no time to think and I was grateful for it."

Sridevi made her debut as a child in the 1967 Tamil film Kandhan Karunai at the age of four, and began playing lead roles as a child in M. A. Thirumugam's 1969 mythological Tamil film Thunaivan.

Sridevi started her career as a child actor at the age of four in the Tamil movie Kandhan Karunai in 1967.

Subsequently, she played the role of young Muruga in Thunaivan.

Kandhan Karunai (1967), Nam Naadu (1969), Prarthanai (1970), Babu (1971), Badi Panthulu (1972), Bala Bharatam (1972), Vasantha Maaligai (1972) and Bhakta Kumbara (1974) are the most notable films of her career as a child artist.

Sridevi made her debut in Telugu cinema as a child artist with the 1970 film Maa Nanna Nirdoshi.

Baby Sridevi's performance in Poompatta (1971) in Malayalam won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist.

In 1972, Sridevi debuted as a child artist in Bollywood with Rani Mera Naam directed by K. S. R. Das.

She also appeared in the film Julie, where she played the younger sister to the protagonist Lakshmi.

She acted with Jayalalitha in Thirumangalyam, Kandan Karunai and Adi Parashakti.

Sridevi's lead roles in Telugu include Konda Veeti Simham, Kshana Kshanam, Vetagaadu, Sardar Paparayudu and Bobbili Puli.

With Akkineni Nageswara Rao, she appeared in movies such as Muddula Koduku, Premabhishekham, Bangaru Kanuka and Prema Kanuka as well as with Krishna in Kanchu Kagada, Kalavari Samsaram, Adavi Simhalu, Krishnavatharam, Burripalem Bullodu, Vajrayudham, Gharana Donga, Kirayi Kotigadu, Pachani Kapuram, Makutam Leni Maharaju, Ramarajyamlo Bheemaraju, Jayam manade, Samajaniki sawal, Mama Allulla Sawal, Ram Robert Rahim and Khaidi Rudrayya.

She acted with Chiranjeevi in Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, S. P. Parasuram.

Her first role as an on-screen adult came in 1976 at age 13, in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu.

In 1976, Sridevi landed her first leading role in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu directed by K. Balachander.

She followed it with a number of films with Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

She soon established herself as a leading female star of South Indian Cinema, with roles in such films as 16 Vayathinile (1977), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Padaharella Vayasu (1978), Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980), Meendum Kokila (1981), Premabhishekam (1981), Vazhvey Maayam (1982), Moondram Pirai (1982), Aakhari Poratam (1988), Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) and Kshana Kshanam (1991).

Sridevi's first release of 1977 was Gaayathri, followed by Kavikkuyil and 16 Vayathinile, where she played the role of a young girl who is caught between her 2 lovers.

She also starred in the film's Telugu remake Padaharella Vayasu in 1978.

Sridevi's first starring role in Hindi cinema came with the drama film Solva Sawan (1979), and she received wider recognition for the action film Himmatwala (1983).

She emerged a leading Hindi film star with several successes, including Mawaali (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Tohfa (1984), Maqsad (1984), Masterji (1985), Karma (1986), Mr. India (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Chandni (1989).

She received praise for her performances in Sadma (1983), Nagina (1986), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Gumrah (1993), Laadla (1994), and Judaai (1997).

Her performance in the 1992 Ram Gopal Varma directed Kshana Kshanam opposite Venkatesh, won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and the Nandi Award for Best Actress.

She acted in highest number of Telugu movies with Telugu superstar Krishna.

Following a hiatus, she played the title role in the television sitcom Malini Iyer (2004–2005).

Sridevi returned to film acting with the comedy-drama English Vinglish (2012) and had her 300th and final film role in the thriller Mom (2017).

She earned acclaim for both performances, and for the latter was posthumously awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress.

In 2013, Sridevi was honoured with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour.

She was voted "India's Greatest Actress in 100 Years" in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted in 2013.

On 24 February 2018, she was found dead of an accidental drowning in her guest room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

News of her death featured prominently in Indian and international media.

She was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had two daughters, actresses Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor.