Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has said legendary actor Sridevi
surprised him with her dedication to the craft of acting and he was
blown away by her ability to grow as an artiste.
The
diva, who passed away late last night in Dubai at the age of 54
reportedly due to cardiac arrest, had acted with the actor in 27 films,
including director K Balachander's "Moondru Mudichu", which also
featured South superstar Rajinikanth.
In a video
message, Haasan remembered Sridevi as an "astounding talent", which was
"no luck" but a result of her hard-working nature throughout a career
spanning almost five decades.
"Sridevi Kapoor's
astounding talent was no luck. It was well-deserved and she worked for
it from her childhood. I'm also a child actor, I've known her from her
teens. She was still a child then when she came to work with me and Mr
Balachander, my mentor sometimes gave me the responsibility of working
with her, correcting her and shaping her acting, even her dance moves.
"When she came she was not as talented as she is, she was.
But she developed everyday she learnt. I was astounded by her climb and
every step of it she worked for. She was very fond of me and I was very
fond of her. We were working so continuously that our personal lives
were on the periphery... So the kind of dedication she had truly matched
mine and so it's no wonder that we were fond of each other," the
63-year-old actor said.
Haasan recounted his last meeting with Sridevi which took place in January.