Sridevi was an actress who not only ruled Bollywood but also gave brilliant performances in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada language films. Just four years after her birth on 13 August 1963, she acted in her first Tamil film Kandhan Karunai. After entering the Hindi film industry with Solva Sawan in 1979, she worked extensively in the industry. During this time she met film producer Boney Kapoor and later married him in Shirdi in 1996.
Kapoor was married to Mona Shourie at the time and had two children Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor. While Sridevi was a stepmom, she never made any distinction between her and her daughters Boney, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. In an earlier interview with Filmfare, the producer revealed how the Mom actress was constantly in touch with all her four children.
Talking about the late actor’s relationship with Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor, Boney told the publication, “Her priority is our kids. She constantly keeps asking me about Arjun and Anshula.” He added that even if they would stay up late at night or they would be up till 3 am, she would wake up at 6.30 am. It was her routine to check if the girls have had breakfast. When they would leave for school, the actress would drop them till the gate.
Calling his wife “a devoted family person”, he said it is the same whether it is with his parents or his children. Recalling his 50th birthday celebrations, Boney Kapoor said all his children were present at the celebrations and it was entirely because of her. “She has always seen to it that the family stays united,” the actor-filmmaker said. He added that Sri always goes the extra mile to keep the family together no matter what.
The Sadma actress is known as the ‘first female superstar’ of the Indian film industry who ruled the roost for over five decades. She was one of the most popular and highly paid celebs of her time who did around 300 films in her career. From Amitabh Bachchan to Rajinikanth, she worked with almost all the big names in the entertainment industry. Her beauty and charm was such that she could make anyone her fan. Even her husband Boney was mesmerized after seeing her for the first time in a Tamil film in the 70s.
Keen to get a closer look with her, the producer-actor tried to meet her at her Chennai home but was unsuccessful as she was shooting in Singapore. He then saw her in other Hindi films and was captivated by her aura and beauty. Determined to sign her in his 1987 film Mr India, directed by Shekhar Kapur, he visited one of her sets in Mumbai. For Kapur, their first meeting was a “dream come true”.
At the India Today Woman Summit in 2013, she revealed that she was an introvert and used to shy away from talking to strangers, and he was one of them at that time. Even the few words he said to her in broken Hindi and English touched her heart, making her curious to know Sri better. After working in his film, he started meeting her on the sets and slowly, the actress got comfortable and she fell madly in love with Sri.
But at that time, he was married to Mona. However, he did not hide his feelings about Sridevi from her. Boney confessed to his ex-wife that he loved her and could not stop himself. From then on, she never left the English Vinglish actor’s side. Seeing his love and affection, the actress too eventually fell in love with him and they got married in 1996.
Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Janhvi Kapoor reveals how Sridevi inspired her to connect with audiences; ‘I saw the impact mom’s work had on people’