Sri Devi, A Star of Innocence - Joseph Mariamichael

     From my memories, when I was 4th Standard, I think, "16 Vayathinile" (At the age 16), was the first cinema, I saw, Sri Devi's. My father came running with handful of coins and informed us that we should get ready at once to go for a cinema "16 Vayathinile". My sister, aged around one year, sleeping on the cradle, jumped out of the cradle, on hearing the sudden surprise news ( as moving going moments were the happiest moments in those times), luckily into my hands. Every body hurriedly got ready and rushed to the movie Hall. After watching the movie, though I again and again recited dialogues of Kamal and Rajini in the Movie, I could not recognize much Sri Devi. 

When I was doing +1 only, I came to know the name Sri Devi and got much impressed on seeing her screen presence in Santhippu (Junction) a Sivaji Ganesan movie, a modified version of his own old cinema Thrisoolam (Thrisul). By the time she was leaving the Tamil Cinema and started acting in Hindi Cinemas. Sometimes later, when I became more interested in cinemas, I started watching her old Tamil movies, like Priya, Kavikuyil, Pokkri Raja, Vazhve Mayam, Thani kattu Raja, Mooram Pirai, Gayathri, Jhony, Ranuva Veeran, etc. Watching such movies of Late 70s and Early 80s, with nostalgic moments, makes me travel in the Time line to my childhood life and the persons associated to those cherishing moments. I realized later in my college days at Coimbatore that like me there is a great multitude are fans of the Celluloid star, including actor Aamir Khan. I could converse with my non-Tamil Friends, about Sri Devi too, since she was film personality pan India.

One of the Famous writer in Tamil, Sujatha, wrote the story of Priya, keeping Sri Devi in his mind. He wrote about the heroine character of the story, her smiles, laugh, and her childish look even at her youthful age. She acted in Gayathri, a movie, which has the story written by Sujtha. Both are women centered and one of which Gayathri, with less commercial elements than Priya, was one of the worth watching Sri Devi's Cinema. The villain role played by Rajini kanth, will make me frightened always and one movie, which, I always break down into tears, on seeing the climax, is Gayathri. Gayathiri, futuristic in nature, handled the modern day problem of exploiting women sexually, in the media for money, in the disguise of a husband. Gayathri was innocent, without being aware of being sexually exhibited for money, as many present day girls are victimized in the media, by various hidden traps. Sridevi, gave heart breaking performance as Gayathri. 

The movies, which I mention here, music played the legendary music composer Ilayaraja with soul winning music which make me feel divine, has songs like "Chinna Kannan sung by Sri Bala Mulrali Krisahna and Senthura Poove and both have the screen presence of Sri Devi. I have lot many things to tell about Sri Devi, which I reserve it for a later article, mentioning only one. Sri Devi once said in an interview, Stars (Cinema) are like Sparkling stars, when they are in the sky and become ashes on reaching the earth, comparing the flower pots fired during Diwalis. Hope this star has not become ashes on the Earth and reached the Skies as a sparkling star.