Hawa Hawaai - The girl of Bollywood.

By- Mahima Rabia

This is how I will always want to remember Sridevi...
The queen of Indian cinema - Sridevi, crowned as the Hawa Hawaai will be the owner of special applause and accolades forever. Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, later known as Sridevi was born in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu on 13th August, 1963. This superstar who is known for her excellent work  in movies like Himmatwala, Chandni and Sadmaa was into the world of films since her childhood. She started her career as a child artist in M. A. Thirumugam's 1969 devotional film Thunaivan at the age of four.

A package of acting skills, beautiful dance moves and brilliant expressions swayed away the audience each time when she was on the screen. Be it the bubbly Indian girl from Chandni or the simple, Indian housewife from English Vinglish, Sridevi was an actress par excellence.Solva Saawan of 1979 was her Bollywood debut in which she played a 16 Y. O girl Mehna, filled with ambitions. No different from this character, Sridevi in her real life also reciprocated the same - attractive, intelligent woman filled with ambitions.
                    Himmatwala in 1983 marked her success in Bollywood. Her versatility was paired with almost all the male star casts of Bollywood resulting into some memorable movies like - Mr. India, Lamhe, Mawaali, Naya Kadam and Judaai. The 1997 Hindi fiction drama 'Judaai'  declared as the super hit film by box-office was her last movie of the decade. She was married to producer Boney Kapoor in 1996 and was later blessed with daughters Janhavi and Khushi.
          
After the 1997 box-office hit, she made a come back with the Indian Comedy Television series 'Malini Iyer'. The Government of India adorned her work and achievements with the country's 4th highest civilian honor- Padma Shri. Her colours of versatility showed yet another shade when English Vinglish was on screen in the year 2012.All set to change some stereotypes and  misperceptions regarding housewives, their abilities and language barriers seen as inferiority - this movie had brought back the Hawa Hawaai  to its loving audience. She was also voted as 'India's Greatest Actress in 100 Years' in a CNN IBN national poll 2013 on the ocassion of the centenary of Indian Cinema.

February 24,2018 was the day when this great talent due to cardiac arrest left the nation in grief as she breathed her last breath at a hospital in Dubai, UAE.
             Her happening, vibrant and brilliant reel and real life roles will be remembered, always.