“She was my childhood and one of the big reasons I became an actor”- Priyanka Chopra pens a heartfelt tribute to late Sridevi

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

March 3, 2018 - 10:25 AM IST

The nation bid adieu to the first female superstar of Indian film industry, Sridevi. The funeral of the 54-year-old actress was performed on February 28 amid massive fan frenzy. The fans all around the country gathered in Mumbai to bid farewell to her. As Bollywood and South industry mourned the loss of the actress, some celebrities paid heartfelt tributes to her.

“She was my childhood and one of the big reasons I became an actor”- Priyanka Chopra pens a heartfelt tribute to late Sridevi

In one of the most heartfelt tributes, Priyanka Chopra penned beautiful eulogy for the late Sridevi in TIME magazine's site. The actress, who is abroad shooting for her TV show, wrote how Sridevi was one of the big reasons in her life that she became an actress. After her passing, it took a while for her to sink the fact that she was no more. The eulogy read as, "She was born for the silver screen. As an artist who found her calling at the age of 4, she swapped playgrounds for movie sets and friends for directors, and made 70-mm film her canvas. By her own admission, she would have it no other way. Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, she changed the course of Indian cinema when she became Sridevi.”

Talking about Sridevi’s work, Priyanka further wrote, “Sridevi Kapoor shared an intimate relationship with the camera, and it loved her like no other, passionately capturing every aspect of that expressive face and her equally expressive frame. She loved it back with equal force. Normally shy and quiet, Sridevi blossomed under its gaze, delivering such depth in her performance that it would leave audiences breathless, wishing that their dance would never end, craving just a little more.

Sridevi was India’s first female superstar and at the time of her passing, on Feb. 24 at 54, had starred in close to 300 movies over five decades. She enthralled audiences across the globe in a variety of Indian languages (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi). She owned every frame of every film she was in—without the need of a male co-star, bringing in audiences and setting the box office alight, firmly on her own shoulders.

Everyone wanted her and wanted to be like her. She could be childlike, grown up, funny, serious, beguiling, sexy—she was the ultimate actor. Sridevi leaves behind a legacy that will live beyond us all, a legacy built on the foundation of pure dedication, talent, hard work and a sprinkle of fairy dust that was showered on her by the Gods!”

Priyanka Chopra further added how Sridevi was her biggest inspiration. She wrote, “She was my childhood, and one of the big reasons I became an actor. To refer to all of us as mere fans would be a disservice to her. When the news first broke of her passing, I was immobilized. All I could do then was listen to songs from her films, revisit her interviews and watch her iconic scenes over and over again. I knew I was not alone; millions were feeling that exact emotion of shock and loss. Her connection with the audience was so strong that that each one of us has special memories linked to her.

She left us too soon. My last memory of her is a red-carpet moment last December. In the frenzy of flashbulbs and whirring cameras, she pulled me into a tight hug and spoke lovingly and excitedly about her two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi. Her family was her life. She left me feeling warm and fuzzy, and with a promise to meet again.”

Lastly, Priyanka concluded saying, “But angels don’t pass on. They just shine brighter in another realm—so I will always look out for her in the sky.

Thank you for the magic, Sri ma’am. Forever your fan."

On the professional front, Priyanka Chopra is currently shooting for the third season of the crime drama series, Quantico. The season 3 will have 13 episodes and will air in the month of April 2018. They will move the show to a new day from Sunday to Thursday. Priyanka Chopra will also be seen in two Hollywood films- A Kid Like Jake and Isn’t It Romantic.

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