Vogue Tribute Sridevi 1963 - 2018

Vogue Tribute Sridevi 1963 - 2018

THANK YOU FOR the memories

As the nation mourns the loss of an icon, designer Manish Malhotra pens a poignant tribute to his mentor, muse and best friend Sridevi Kapoor

“I must have been in college when I first watched Himmatwala (1983) and I was instantly enamoured. Be it those twinkling eyes or her poise, I loved everything about Sridevi. I finally met her a few years later, when Rakesh Shrestha, legendary photographer of the time, introduced us. I remember waiting anxiously at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studio as she wrapped up a song sequence in a striking red Amrapali costume alongside Vinod Khanna.She greeted you with genuine kindness, but one couldn’t help notice how reserved she was. She barely spoke, in fact. She, however, came to life when the camera started rolling. It was almost as if the camera was her most intimate friend. I saw her next when she asked to meet me at the Centaur Hotel—she wanted me to design a sweater for her role in Khuda Gawah (1992) and style a song in Aadmi Aur Apsara (1991). Before I knew it, I, all of 23, was on a flight to Chennai carrying two black and gold jackets, for her and Chiranjeevi Sir.

It was only in 1993, with Gumrah, that our work relationship really took flight. I recall a time when she tried on an outfit, and it didn’t look quite right. Still new to the industry, I refrained from commenting, but my eyes gave my thoughts away. She coerced the truth out of me. In little ways, she made you feel your opinion mattered, especially when it came from a place of truth.