29 Years of Judaai: Sridevi on Her Complex Role — “She Is a Terrible Person and I Had to Make Her Likeable”
Director Raj Kanwar and producer Boney Kapoor’s iconic film Judaai celebrates 29 years today. Starring Sridevi, Anil Kapoor, and Urmila Matondkar, the film captivated audiences with its unusual storyline about a money-driven wife who sells her husband to another woman in exchange for wealth.
The film’s success was propelled by memorable songs like “Pyaar Vyaar Karte Karte,” “Mujhe Pyaar Hua,” and the title track. Yet, Judaai is most fondly remembered for the late Sridevi’s powerful portrayal of the greedy wife, Kajal. She brought a nuanced performance that made audiences view her character not with anger but with a complex mixture of fascination and empathy—a testament to one of the finest roles in her illustrious career.
Sridevi once shared with this writer how challenging the role was: “I had to play a really greedy woman willing to sell off her husband. She is a terrible person, and I had to make her likeable. I would say Judaai was one of my toughest roles. I had to somehow make my character Kajal not look like a vamp. She was so money-minded that she was blind to the fact she was destroying her marriage. This woman was completely alien to my nature.”
This writer also recalls a moment with the legendary Yash Chopra shortly after Judaai’s release. Yash ji called Sridevi at Breach Candy, where she had just given birth to Janhvi, and said, “Sri, listen, after Judaai, you can’t just be a wife and a mother. You have to continue acting. I already have a script ready for you. “What Sridevi’s response was remains a mystery to this writer. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts.
