Sridevi is a superstar who needs no introduction – neither in the north nor in the South! She made her debut with a Tamil film at the age of four in 1967. The film was Kandhan Karunai starring Sivaji & Gemini Ganesan! In 1976, she delivered her first Tamil Hit, Moondru Mudichu, at the age of 13 years! But she turned into a rising superstar, which led to another blockbuster with NTR in 1979!
Vetagadu’s Blockbuster Success!
Vetagadu was released in 1979 and starred NTR with Sridevi! As per various reports, the film was made on a budget of 40 – 50 lakh and earned a gross collection of around 6 crore, with a distributor share of around 3 crore gross! The film was the highest-grossing Tamil film of 1979. It was remade in Hindi in 1980, titled Nishana, and starred Jeetendra and Poonam Dhillon!
When Sridevi Rain-Romanced NTR!
Interestingly, Sridevi was only 16 when she romanced NTR in Vetagadu! Their rain-soaked romance in a song titled Aaku Chaatu Pinde Tadise turned a chartbuster and is still one of the most loved rain songs of Tamil Cinema! Their camaraderie contributed a lot to the success of the film since the Chaalbaaz star was turning into a sensation in Indian Cinema!
NTR’s Granddaughter At 9!
More interestingly, the English Vinglish superstar played NTR’s granddaughter in a film titled Badi Panthulu! The film was released in 1972 and made NTR win the Best Filmfare Actor Award – Telugu!
The Rarest Box Office Record By Sridevi & NTR!
Sridevi and NTR turned the most sought-after pair of Telugu Cinema after Vetagadu’s blockbuster success! While they delivered the highest grosser of the year with Vetagadu in 1979, they continued to claim the record of HGOTY for 3 more times, consecutively!
In 1980, Sardar Paparayudu, starring them, became the highest Telugu grosser of the year. The film was remade as Sarfarosh in 1985, starring Jeetendra and Sridevi! In 1981, Kondaveeti Simham was the highest grosser of the year, which was remade as Farz Aur Kanoon in Hindi in 1982, starring Jeetendra and Hema Malini! In 1982, Bobbili Puli claimed the HGOTY record, and the film was remade in Hindi in 1984, titled Zakhmi Sher, starring Jeetendra and Dimple Kapadia!
Sridevi and NTR ruled with the highest grossers of the year for four consecutive years from 1979 to 1982, with Vetagadu, Sardar Paparayudu, Kondaveeti Simham, and Bobbili Puli. This record was finally broken in 1983 by Chiranjeevi and Madhavi’s Khaidi!
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