Satish : I Called Her Madam

I was part of Sridevi’s landmark film, Mr India (1987). She came to be known as Miss Hawa Hawai after it. And I, as Calendar, the character I played in Shekhar Kapur’s directorial venture. For us, Mr India was a special film, and we struck a bond ever since. We teamed up again for Joshilaay (1989). It was initially directed by Shekhar.

Apart from acting in it, I was also the assistant director. I would call her ‘madam’, because I was the AD. I continued to do so even after she married my buddy, Boney Kapoor. I could never call her Sri, or Sridevi, even though she would often tell me to do so. She was humble, quiet and extremely dignified. Initially, she grappled with Hindi, but ensured that she eventually learnt the language. She was guided by a Delhi theatre artiste, named Sushma Ahuja, who was settled in Chennai. In fact, Mr India (1987) was the first film that she dubbed in her own voice.