Blazing Into Quietus

As the shocking news of thespian actress Sridevi's, untimely demise from a sudden myocardial infarction inside the washroom of a Dubai Hotel spread like wildfire, an overwhelming sense of melancholia engulfed not just the glamour town of Bollywood, but, sent the entire nation into deep mourning on a lazy Sunday.

Renowned for her enchanting vivaciousness that allured billions of hearts across the age and gender spectrum, Sridevi, was the embodiment of stardom, who in the mid-eighties single-handedly ushered unimaginable transformations into the genre of female thespianism, whereby, carving a cult persona, which overshadowed & outclassed every male protagonist sharing bioscope space. Not without reason, those sublime eyes left the spectators mesmeric by their expressions of the inexpressible.

Amidst, the uncertainties in the final decades of the second millennium, interpolated with political assassinations and constant upheavals, Sridevi was the catalyst for a cinematic metamorphosis. How her peerless charm bewitched everyone to conjure unfelt sentiments even in pious celibates, remains an enigmatic phenomenon, only the depths of the sub-conscious can fathom.

Doubtlessly, with innumerable exemplary performances to her credit, namely, the age-barrier defying romance in Lamhe, portraying the twin-trouble scenario in Chaalbaaz or the mythical shape-shifting sensuous cobra in Naagin to cite a few, two shine as the epitome of greatness - one, the personification of Nehlata, a young lass regressing to a childhood cognition, after sustaining a cerebral injury, and, the unmatched slapstick comic-timing alongside brother-in-law- Anil Kapoor in the ground-breaking sci-fi – Mr India, got etched in our memory for a lifetime.          

At a tender age of four, when most toddlers barely coordinate their sensory perception to synchronize with their feeble form, Sridevi stepped into the limelight as a child actor in the Tamil movie Thunaivan. In a multilingual career spanning five decades, the actor churned out diverse roles with consistency to get deservedly conferred with several commendations, punctuating an illustrious professional voyage.

By transcending the limitations of mundaneness, the mild-mannered actor redefined the art of enacting emotions in ways beyond the comprehension of the ordinary mortals, thereby raising the benchmark of preeminence.

Perhaps, the gaping void of the absence is irreplaceable. 

For the love-lorn salaried class, eking through subsistence, Sridevi’s panache offered an oasis of blissfulness to temporarily forget the usual, with the on-screen artistry of humour, melodrama, witty one-liners and the captivating rhythmic moves on melodious symphonies to top it. 

Meanwhile, juxtapose such artistry to this world, wherein, the search for someone to foster a rare smile of joyousness culminates into the discovery of billions eager to evoke tears. Precisely why, such innocent exuberance is eternal. Even though, the agony of the supporters is palpable, no better homage than to inculcate the spirit of dynamism and verve that became her quintessence. After all, once born, a legend never dies, rather, leaves a legacy for generations to emulate.

Growing up in the nineties watching the perkiness of the baby-faced star, somehow, kept the impishness within me, afresh. May the Almighty bestow upon the noble Soul tranquillity and peace, for as a kid, she was indeed, an unforgettable crush of mine. 

A mercurial life, blazes into quietus, with a final wow.

Photo Credits:- 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

https://www.vogue.in