Sridevi’s diva status is not just a label. It is a richly-earned designation bestowed on her by her lifelong fans (me included) after watching her build her equity brick by brick.
Last seen, she was the undisputed queen in English Vinglish. A sneak-peak into her new film Mom reveals Sridevi at the crest of her power. So good is her performance that Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who has just three scenes with her, fumbled, stumbled and mumbled and forgot his lines.
Nawaz admits this is a first for him.
Advance reports of Mom are so brilliant that proud producer Boney Kapoor (who just happens to be Sridevi’s husband) is already planning his next move with his in-house diva.
Yes, the long-in-the-pipeline Mr India 2 is back on the track now, finally. Sridevi and her original co-star Anil Kapoor return to play their original roles while another young pair would also be featured in pivotal parts.
The idea is to take the story forward but not just for doing’s sake. We wanted a solid plot and we’ve got it.A source
At the moment we can tell you that Sridevi and Anil Kapoor will recreate the original’s magic. But not with Shekhar Kapoor to direct them. Sadly Shekhar has declined to direct the sequel. The search is on for a new director. Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra and Mom’s director Ravi Udyawar are strong contenders.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)