Tuesday 29 March 2011

The "lost" Madhuri-Sridevi film

Madhuri presenting Sridevi a Filmfare award in 1993
Recently on an interview Madhuri Dixit said that in the early 90s she was supposed to do a film with Sridevi.

Madhuri Dixit in the early 90s
After doing some research I found out that indeed in 1990 a film was launched starring Sanjay Dutt, Rajnikanth, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and others. The film was titled 'Zameen' and according to some sources, up to 12 reels of the film had already been shot. Now 20 years have passed since the launch and subsequent shooting so I'm sure some of the stories are made-up, but from my findings some of the reasons behind the shelving of the film have been revealed.







Sridevi in the ea
When the producers were casting for the film (most probably in 1988/9) Madhuri was still a rising star, whilst Sridevi was a bonafide super star. By the time the launch happened and shooting began, Madhuri became a huge star in her own right - and in the media the two were often pitted against each other. In early 1991 Madhuri won the Filmfare Best Actress award for her performance in 'Dil' [1990]. This seems to have ruffled a few Sridevi feathers. Sri then triumphed the following year by winning back the trophy. By now the competition was fierce.

It was around this time the whole 'Saroj Khan vs. Sridevi' fiasco took place. See the video below for details if you haven't seen it:






The film was subsequently shelved although upto 80% has already been shot. Apparently Sridevi came to know that the producers had added a solo dance number to be featured on Madhuri due to her rising popularity, but when Sri requested an additional track for herself she was refused. This then caused a huge rift between the producers and hence none of the stars completed the film.

I wonder what it would have been like and I wonder if they shared screen space at all. Sridevi was at her peak and Mads was still a rising star but it would still be very interesting to see them together. I would love the tapes to leak at some point and I'm sure they'll cause a frenzie among fans.

In the meanwhile Madhuri has flown back to the U.S. and Sri is due to start filming her comeback film soon.

Update: Some stills and promotional shots have leaked onto the internet and I have managed to track them down. Check it out. You can even see the two divas in the same frame in one of the photos.

Sanjay Dutt + Madhuri Dixit

Sanjay Dutt + Madhuri Dixit

Sridevi
Vinod Khanna, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi

Vinod Khanna + Sridevi

Zameen poster

Vinod Khanna + Sridevi

Sanjay Dutt + Rajnikanth

Sridevi

Vinod Khanna + Sridevi

Vinod Khanna + Sridevi






29 comments:

  1. Interesting.. thank you.. didn't think these wars existed then.. LOL..

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  2. madhuri madhuri madhuri madhuri .......
    only madhuri has no match....

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  3. With those stars imagine the movie! Mere screenshots would cause a frenzy! (If you get any leaked tapes, don't be greedy :D )

    I wonder what the storyline was? maybe they can remake it (or actually finish it) with new stars? I don't know anything about making films and still not sure if this is true but....why didn't they just let Sridevi have a solo song?!!

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  4. well it would indeed make a great movie to watch.. though mad's is back to USA, she is cming back for another reality show with sanjeev the chef, she will be back once the auditions are over for the food food's maha challenge.

    i think sridevi is a great star but being a madhuri fan its hard to look beyond her.

    hopefully when she is back there will be a surprise for everyone with her coming into the big screen

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  5. It is hard to believe that for two songs for two DIVA's a whole movie, which was 80% completed got shelved..if the producers were dumb or fool they can do this wastage of money ..the story must be something else otherwise who doesn't want to make profits even with the 80 percent producer can changed the story or released it to get back his money..I don't agree with your article... sorry..!!!

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  6. You have put Rekha,Madhuri's pic with other junior actresses..then where is Sridevi's pic? Don't you think she is a DIVA?..lol biased!!!

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  7. ^^ but Rekha looks out of place.. LOL.. she doesn't belong with these gals..

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  8. ^ Let me just clarify the picturs in the banner.
    I am incapable of creating, editing, cutting images and putting them together so I told my good friend to make me the banner. He works in media (photoshopping). Then I gave him a list of actresses to put on the cover which included Sridevi, Kajol, Aishwarya. But in the end this is what he gave me and I had to use it. It's as simple as that. Maybe one day if I can learn how to make it myself then I will put Sridevi there. I am not biased.

    Thanks for all the comments.

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  9. madhuri madhuri madhuri

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  10. Sri Sri SriDEeeeeeeevi...

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  11. Zed it's a wonderful banner.. at least Rani will be happy, your buddy increased her height.. LOL

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  12. There are some Zameen stills in the picture gallery of my Sanjay Dutt website www.sanjay-dutt.info. Please check both sides of this thread: http://www.razyboard.com/system/morethread-unvollendete-projekte-projects-never-finished-sanjeye-1946876-5104465-0.html

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  13. I do not totally agree with this article....I have a Movie magazine from 1994 with a Sridevi interview where she has clearly said that she was looking forward to Zameen being completed and get released but the film has 'got shelved for no fault of mine.' Sridevi was too big a star and actress at that time to have fought over a mere song and refused to work...She had done multi heroine films earlier with biggies like Jaya Prada and Dimple Kapadia and overshadowed them totally....She was surely looking forward to this new challenge...It just might have been a case of Madhuri getting cold feet!!!

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  14. Diwali - thank you so much for the link - they are both very interesting! Also, great blog.

    Sotty - She worked with other heroines much earlier in her career. By the time it was 1994 Sri had crossed the 30 barrier and was clearly becoming more insecure as evidenced in Saroj Khan's video above.

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  15. a TOTALLY Wrong information. Zameen has been shelved around 1991. I have a magazine with the story. It wasnt Sridevi but it was Madhuri. Madhuri had only one song, Sridevi had 4 songs, Madhuri was a supporting cast, Sridevi was the heroine. Madhuri's Dil was a success at the box office so she demanded a bigger footage and more songs.

    The Magazine even publised a picture of Madhuri and Sanjay Dutt kissing lip to lip from the movie.
    Get your facts checked before publishing lies

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  16. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it all.

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  17. As a person from the industry i can assure that the information here is wrong......Even magazines at that time pointed the reason .Madhuri was a supporting cast in the movie.

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  18. All time favourite Sridevi.......
    All India Star Sridevi..
    Hail Sridevi

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  19. Thanks for all comments guys. @A.K. - can you show us the receipts please? Thanks again xoxo

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  20. wher this film plz help me to see this film

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  21. clearly ur a Madhuri fan ..so ur trying to play around with facts and show Madhuri in good light. Read ur comment about how sridevi isnt featured in the page...again an excuse coz i feel she isnt ur favourite. Further u seem to be fooling us. No producer will not want to release a film which is 80% ready starring sridevi and madhuri....totally made up story

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  22. clearly ur a Madhuri fan ..so ur trying to play around with facts and show Madhuri in good light. Read ur comment about how sridevi isnt featured in the page...again an excuse coz i feel she isnt ur favourite. Further u seem to be fooling us. No producer will not want to release a film which is 80% ready starring sridevi and madhuri....totally made up story

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  23. Where is sridevi?
    sridevi is a real superstar

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  24. Sridevi would have overshadowed madhuri anyway...u can see her character just by looking at the stills whereas madhuri just looks like her usual self

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  25. From the pictures above Sridevi is looking like the leading lady of the film and the other actress seems like a side kick, I dont think sridevi must have created the problem and even on coffee with Karan , Madhuri herself told that they were not responsible for the cancellation of the film.

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  26. Madhuri Madhuri & only Madhuri!!!

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  27. Madhuri won the filmfare in 1993

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