New Delhi: Acclaimed actress Sridevi, who ruled Bollywood and gave unforgettable performances in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada cinema, started her career at a young age. Just four years after her birth on August 13, 1963, she debuted in Tamil cinema with ‘Kandhan Karunai’. She entered Hindi films in 1979 with ‘Solva Sawan’ and soon became a leading figure in Bollywood. During this time, she met filmmaker Boney Kapoor and the two got married in Shirdi in 1996.
Boney Kapoor was previously married to Mona Shourie and had two children, Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor. Despite being their stepmother, Sridevi gave them the same love and care as she gave her own daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. In an interview with Filmfare, Boney Kapoor revealed how Sridevi maintained a close bond with all four of her children, often checking on Arjun and Anshula, saying, “Her priority is our children. She constantly keeps asking me about Arjun and Anshula.” Even after late nights, she would wake up early to ensure the girls had breakfast and drop them to the gate while leaving for school.
Boney Kapoor described his wife as a “devoted family person”, saying her commitment was not just to her children but also to her parents. He recalled celebrating his 50th birthday in the presence of all his children, which was a testimony to Sridevi’s efforts to keep the family together. “She would always go the extra mile to keep the family together,” he said.
Known as the ‘first female superstar’ of Indian cinema, Sridevi had a career that spanned over five decades, making her one of the most popular and highest-grossing actresses of her time, appearing in nearly 300 films. Boney Kapoor was first impressed by her beauty and talent when he saw her in Tamil films in the 1970s. Boney said their first meeting on the sets was a “dream come true” for him.
At the India Today Woman Summit in 2013, Boney revealed that Sridevi was an introvert who initially avoided strangers. Despite her shy nature, whatever she said to him left a deep impression on him. As he worked with her, he grew to love her deeply and eventually, she too fell in love with him. Despite being married to Mona at the time, Boney did not hide his feelings. He professed his love to his ex-wife and once their relationship was out in the open, he and Sridevi remained inseparable and got married in 1996.
