“Me khwabon ki shehezadi, main hoon har dil pe chahyi” perfectly defines the late Sridevi’s film career. The Hawa Hawai girl ruled our hearts for a very long time and left us for her journey to the next world on this very day, last year. Sridevi, the epitome of beauty, grace, poise and elegance in Bollywood, had made her mark with her immense contribution to Indian Cinema since she was a child. The actress in true sense gave her life to films. Whether it was her sizzling moves in Mr.India or her role of an aspiring lady struggling hard to learn English in Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish, the B-town diva made us believe in the magical world she created each time and wowed us with her performances. Today, on the eve of her first death anniversary, let’s talk about some iconic roles that Sridevi had portrayed and will always remain in our hearts .

Nehalata (Sadma):

Talk about her acting calibre and the very first character that will always come to our collective minds is that of Nehalata from the beautiful film Sadma. Sridevi played an autistic lady in the film who regresses into a childlike behaviour after an accident and lands up into brothel to be saved by Kamal Haasan. The dynamic that both of them share and the heart breaking end is the highlight of film. If you are one who hasn’t seen Sadma as yet, then it’s better you do, because it is worth every minute.

Anju and Manju (ChaalBaaz)

Do you remember the song, Na Jane Kaha Se Aai Hain and Sridevi dancing on it wearing a raincoat? Well, that popular number is from ChaalBaaz. Those were the days when doing a film with double roles was considered to be a milestone in an actor’s career. In Chaalbaaz, she played the roles of Anju and Manju, two twin sisters who separated at birth. One grows up to be a shy, high valued girl whereas the other one is a complete badass. Sridevi shined in both the parts and claimed her place as the hero of the film.

Chandni (Chandni):

This was the time when films were majorly dominated by men, well, let’s just accept they still do. Sridevi in an as Chandni made us fall in love with her all over again. Twirling around singing and dancing with Rishi Kapoor on those snow clad mountains is a guilty Bollywood pleasure of many. Turning out to be one of the biggest hits of late Yash Chopra, Chandni was as love triangle that completely belonged to Sridevi courtesy her chirrpy, loving portrayal as the female lead. She became a fashion icon with this film as well and her all the Chandi looks are still pretty famous.

Pallavi and Pooja (Lamhe)

Listed amongst the top 100 Bollywood romantic movies at many places, Lamhe added one more film with a double role to Sridevi’s kitty. This time she played a double role with a vast age gap. She played a girl growing up to look just like her mother. So basically she played both mother and daughter onscreen. Sridevi dancing on Morni Baga Ma dolled up in a traditional Rajasthani will always remain a visual delight. Her pairing with Anil Kapoor was a loved, making Lamhe worth watching though back then the story of the film was ahead of its time .

Shashi (English Vinglish):

Let’s just put it out this way, in director Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish, Sridevi voiced those number of ladies embarrassed each day because they lack in some counter. Shashi asking for not too much but some respect from her husband and kids was heartbreaking, but her journey in earning that respect gave thousand others motivation. Gauri’s slice of life film marked Sridevi’s come back on the big screen after a long time. And she made a point that no matter how long the break was, her craft was still intact and no one can ever replace her.

We lost a legend last year. She will always be alive between us through her films.

Ajay Devgn has been in the film industry for over two decades and even today he is as entertaining as he was when he started his journey back in 1991. However, in the past few years, the talented actor has established himself as a bankable star. He is someone who can easily carry a film on his shoulders and get cash registers ringing. No wonder, he is one the busiest actors in Bollywood today. From working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali to teaming up with Rohit Shetty, Devgn has worked with various filmmakers and has also proved his versatility as an actor. In a nutshell, he is a complete package.

In fact, Ajay’s fan base has also increased lately because of the projects that he has been doing. His latest release Total Dhamaal arrived in the theatres yesterday, February 22, and got off to a good start. The comic caper, which co-stars Madhuri Dixit Nene, Anil Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi and few others, ended up earning Rs 16. 50 crore on day 1 which we think is mighty impressive.

While we are sure Total Dhamaal will continue to draw the audience at the cinema halls, over the years Ajay have delivered many blockbusters. In fact, Golmaal Again, which came out in 2017, is his highest grosser in India till date. Apart from Golmaal Again, check out how his last 10 films did at the box office and you’ll know why Ajay is considered a force to reckon with in Bollywood.

Coming back to Total Dhamaal, it’s the third film in the successful Dhamaal franchise directed by Indra Kumar. And next, Ajay will be seen in the historical drama Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior. Directed by Om Raut, the film has already gone on floors and also stars Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kajol in pivotal roles. The film is scheduled to release this year on November 22. So are you guys excited for Ajay’s next? Tell us in the comments section below.

Ajay Devgn’s Total Dhamaal has clearly had a dhamakedaar start at the box office. The movie raked in Rs 16.50 crore on day 1, breaking several records in the process. It is Indra Kumar’s highest opener, it is the third highest opener for a comic film (after Golmaal Again and Singh is Bliing) and is also the highest opener for a comedy film with a non-holiday release. But there’s more! Total Dhamaal has also given Ajay his highest non-holiday opening at the box office. Yes, if you look at all the non-holiday releases that the superstar has had and its open day collections, it’s easily his best so far!

Currently, Total Dhamaal (Rs 16.50 crore) is his highest non-holiday opener till date. Next up is Himmatwala and Bol Bachchan, both with a opening day collection of Rs 12 crore. Then comes Satyagraha with a day 1 collection of Rs 11 crore and Action Jackson, which collected Rs 10 crore on the first day. In fact, Total Dhamaal is also Ajay’s third highest opening day grosser (overall, after Singham Returns and Golmaal Again) till date. Anyway, what do you have to say about these records created by Total Dhamaal? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section below!

Total Dhamaal is doing very well in the mass circuits. In fact, people across the country are raving about it. With such a strong word-of-mouth publicity, we are sure it will rake in the moolah at the box office over the first weekend. In fact, our trade expert – Akshaye Rathi (exhibitor and distributor) predicts that the movie can collect more than Rs 40 – 50 crore over the opening weekend. That’s great, na? In the meantime, stay tuned to CineBlitz as we get you all the Bollywood news, updates and gossip.