Sridevi was easily the most dominant Hindi film actress of the 1980s and early 1990s switching from being a Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film heroine of the 1970s to becoming Hindi cinema's premier female film star in the 80s.

Sridevi began as a child artist with the Sivaji Ganesan - Savithri starrer Kandan Karunai (1967). The film, directed by AP Nagarajan was a mythological film with Sivaji starring as a minor local deity, Veerabaghu, working with the more popular male deity, Muruga. Sridevi played the role of the child Muruga. Among other films, she also did the MGR - Jayalalitha starrer Nam Naadu (1969) as a child star. The film was remade as the Rajesh Khanna - Mumtaz starrer Apna Desh (1972).

Sridevi broke through in Tamil filmdom with K Balachander's Moondru Mudichu (1976) opposite Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth. She formed a successful screen partnership with both superstars, herself becoming a major Tamil star with Bharathiraja's debut, 16 Vayathinile (1977). The film, along with Annakili (1976), is considered as the film to take Tamil cinema out of the studio. The film is a love story in which a young girl Mayil (Sridevi) whose dreams are shattered when she marries the village idiot Sappani (Kamal Hassan). He rescues her from the local bully Rajinikanth whom he kills and has to go to jail. Mayil decides whe would wait for him. The film was remade as Solva Sawan (1978) introducing Sridevi to Hindi audiences, (Actually she had done a Hindi film earlier, Julie (1975), playing heroine Lakshmi's younger sister) However Solva Sawan was a dismal flop and Sridevi concentrated her energies on Tamil cinema becaoming its leading number one star in the period from 1979 - 1983. She also simultaneously did several Telugu films opposite NT Rama Rao and mainly Krishna thus averaging almost 15 films a year between Tamil and Telugu films in this period. She also did a spate of Malayalam films between 1976 and 1978.

She re-entered the Hindi film Industry with Himmatwala (1983), this time a superhit. The film costarred 'jumping jack' Jeetendra and Sridevi's appearance in a swimming costume in the film earned her the label of 'thunder thighs.' A succession of hits with Jeetendra followed - Mawaali (1983), Akalmand (1984), Tohfa (1984) among others. These films, mostly directed by the likes of K Bappaiah and K Raghavendra Rao were nothing more than south masala films imported into Mumbai and Sridevi merely had to provide the glamour quotient in them which she did more than adequetely. An exception in this phase was Sadma (1983), a remake of her earlier Tamil film Moondram Pirai (1982). The film, directed by Balu Mahendra is about a schoolteacher (Kamal Hassan) who rescues a mentally deranged childlike woman (Sridevi) from a brothel and looks after her in his hillside home. When she finally recovers, she fails to recognize him. The film in both versions has superb performances by the lead pair. Sridevi as the child woman is simply amazing. The gamut of emotions running across her childlike face have to be seen to be believed. And to think that Producer Raj Sippy originally wanted Dimple Kapadia in Sridevi's role. Sadma is unthinkable without Sridevi. Sadma, however, was a dismal flop and Sridevi had to content herself being the regular glam doll in films like the Amitabh Bachchan starrers Inquilaab (1984) and Aakhree Raasta (1986) and Subhash Ghai's Karma (1986). The timing of her re-entry into Hindi filmdom with Himmatwala was perfect. The Hema Malini and Rekha era was ending and she and another southern rival, Jayaparada had become the two top Hindi film heroines by then slugging it out for the top spot.

Nagina (1986) made it a one woman race as Sridevi's slinky snake dances were a major reason for the film's success. (Ironically the film was first offered to Jayaprada who refused it due to her aversion to snakes!). Her iconic dance Main Teri Dushman Dushman Tu Mera Main Nagin Tu Sapera in the film's climax was the highlight of the film. The film even spawned a sequel Nigahen (1989) which however was not as succesful as the original. Sridevi was now the undisputed queen of Bollywood.

Sridevi hit her peak with Shekhar Kapur's Mr. India (1987). With Anil Kapoor playing an invisible man, Sridevi is the life of the film as the journalist be it breaking onto the Hawa Hawai boogie or being at her sexiest best as she swings ever so seductively to the rain song in a clinging blue chiffon sari Kaatey Nahin Katte Yeh Din Yeh Raat. Her take off on Chaplin was the film's comic highlight as she displayed a razor sharp sense of comic timing.

Chandni (1989) was a fine adult love triangle that saw Sridevi score heavily as the woman caught between Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna. The film saw Yash Chopra return to form after a spate of flops and promotes Sridevi as the Indian film consimer's ideal fantasy of Indian womanhood. She never looked better, affirming her position as India's top female star.

The same year she also made a solid impact with her double act in Chaalbaaz, an updating of Seeta aur Geeta (1972). Be it the weak, mousy Manju or the brash and bindaas Anju, Sridevi was a delight in each role in the film which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She would win the award again for another double role act - of mother and daughter in Yash Chopra's possibly finest film Lamhe (1991). However, in spite of Sridevi's brilliant performances as both mother and daughter, the film, a beautiful and sensitive film of cross-generational love flopped as audiences unfairly found it incestuous.

With the flopping of the magnum opus Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja (1992) and average performance of Khuda Gawah (1992) and Gumrah (1993) and the failure of most of her other films in this period, as against the success of films like Dil (1990), Saajan (1991) and Beta (1992), Sridevi found herself overtaken by the new queen of Bollywood, Madhuri Dixit.

Sridevi also won a Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the Telugu film Kshana Kshanam (1991). The film, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, is a Hitchcockian (wo) man on the run thriller in that Satya (Sridevi) happens upon a clue to some hidden loot. She is targeted by a gang led by Nayar (Paresh Rawal). Teaming up with petty crook Chandu (Venkatesh), the pair are pursued by both cops and criminals. The film opens with a bank raid, moves to surreal forest scenes as the couple rough it out and climaxes with Venkatesh fighting the gangsters atop a moving train!

On the personal front, Sridevi got involved with her Mr. India and Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja Producer Boney Kapoor (actor Anil Kapoor's brother) and married him. She did her last film till date, Judaai (1997) and quit films to raise a family. The couple have two daughters, Khushi and Jhanvi.

Recently she made a comeback of sorts in the television serial Mrs Malini Iyer as a goofy Tamilian housewife named...Malini Iyer!.