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Sridevi 's journey from child artiste to one of Indian cinema 's biggest superstars is filled with memorable milestones. Among them is her pairing with legendary Telugu actor N. T. Rama Rao (NTR) in the 1979 blockbuster 'Vetagadu', a casting decision that continues to be discussed decades later. When the film released, Sridevi was just 16 years old, while NTR was 56, resulting in an age gap of nearly 40 years. Despite the difference, the two were cast as the film's romantic leads.

From granddaughter to leading lady

Years before 'Vetagadu', Sridevi had appeared alongside NTR as a child artiste in the 1972 Telugu film ' Badi Panthulu '. In that film, the young actress portrayed the granddaughter of NTR's character. At the time, Sridevi was only nine years old and was steadily building her reputation as one of the busiest child artistes in South Indian cinema. As she grew older, Sridevi successfully transitioned into heroine roles. Her performance in Padaharella Vayasu (1978) marked a turning point in her career. Just a year later, she reunited with NTR in 'Vetagadu', but this time as his on-screen love interest.

Vetagadu emerged as a commercial success

Although the age difference between the lead actors attracted attention, Vetagadu did not address it within the story. Instead, the film presented NTR and Sridevi as a conventional romantic pair. The strategy proved successful at the box office. The pair appeared in more films later on. NTR passed away in 1996 at the age of 72.

Sridevi's remarkable journey

Sridevi went on to become one of the biggest stars Indian cinema has ever produced. She delivered acclaimed performances across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films and earned the title of India's first female superstar . Her final leading role came in the critically acclaimed thriller 'Mom' (2017). She later made a special cameo appearance in 'Zero' (2018), which became her last on-screen appearance.

Tragedy struck on February 24, 2018, when Sridevi died in Dubai while attending a family wedding. Authorities confirmed the cause of death as accidental drowning in a hotel bathtub. She was cremated with full state honours on February 28, 2018. She is survived by her husband Boney Kapoor and daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor . On the work front, Janvi Kapoor's recent outing is 'Peddi'.


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