Sridevi once sued her film director over a scene in the film, which the actress was uncomfortable with. Read to learn more.
Actress, Sridevi was the first female superstar of Indian cinema, and not that she remained at the top of her game for almost 50 years. She was a versatile queen, with her work spanning from Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films to the Malayalam and Kannada film industries. During her run, the actress had been a part of nearly 300 films in her career. However, there was one incident in her career as an actress that left everyone shook.
Sridevi was shooting for Umesh Mehra's Guru, when a kiss landed them in a legal suit. The actress had to share a kiss with one of the most prominent actors of the time, Mithun Chakraborthy. However, the touch-me-not actress, couldn't take the thought of doing the scene. However, it was not Mithun who was most hurt by Sridevi's denial. It was the director himself, Umesh Mehra.
According to an article by Stardust (1989), Umesh Mehra found himself in a tough spot when Sridevi demanded that her kiss be given back. Yes, you heard that right; the ace actress first agreed to the lip lock. However, she soon asked for it back. For the unversed, Mithun and Sridevi had ended their relationship on a sore note during the course of the film. However, while the kiss had already been shot, the actress decided that she no longer wanted the scene to be part of the film and asked Umesh to remove it.
Sridevi even threatened Umesh about the consequences which would follow if the filmmaker didn't remove the scene. Sridevi's father was not just a lawyer but also a member of Congress-I. The actress's parents ensured that a stay order was placed not only on the kiss but also on her film, Guru. The release of the film was stalled for a long time, as Sridevi didn't want the scene to be released.
After the controversy took place, Stardust reached out to Sridevi for her comment on the same. However, while the actress remained unavailable, her mother took the stance and shared that they had never agreed to the kiss and they felt cheated. The actress' mother demanded that the scene be removed if they wanted the film to be released. She was quoted as saying:
"Umesh Mehra has cheated us. We refused to give the kiss right from the beginning, so he took some extras and shot the scene. He cannot do that. It is not allowed. To hell with how he gets extras to do anything and show it as if Sridevi has done it! Tell him to remove the scene from the film and we will allow the film to be released."
In an interview, Sridevi referred to working with Umesh Mehra in Guru her worst experience. She stated that it was a nightmare for her. Umesh later switched the lips in the film and it was released soon after in the same year. However, Sridevi alleged that Umesh was spreading rumours that she had done the scene.
"The kissing problem of Guru was a nightmare. Someone else's lips were used for a kiss even though I had said I wouldn’t allow this to be done by a stand-in. My parents saw the film and were very upset. And the director, Umesh Mehra, even claimed that I had actually done the kissing scene. That has been my worst experience in the film industry. I'm not sure why I should kiss someone I don't know. Others can do it but I can't."
What are your thoughts on Sridevi's 'kiss' row with Umesh Mehra?
Next Read: Ayesha Jhulka's Career Was Ruined After Her Rape Scene Was Shot Without Her Permission, Felt Cheated