She soon established herself as a leading female star of South Indian Cinema, with roles in such films as 16 Vayathinile (1977), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Padaharella Vayasu (1978), Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980), Meendum Kokila (1981), Premabhishekam (1981), Vazhvey Maayam (1982), Moondram Pirai (1982), Aakhari Poratam (1988), Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) and Kshana Kshanam (1991).

She emerged a leading Hindi film star with several successes, including Mawaali (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Tohfa (1984), Maqsad (1984), Masterji (1985), Karma (1986), Mr. India (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Chandni (1989).

[citation needed] Baby Sridevi's performance in Poompatta (1971) in Malayalam won her the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist.

[29] Kandhan Karunai (1967), Nam Naadu (1969), Prarthanai (1970), Babu (1971), Badi Panthulu (1972), Bala Bharatam (1972), Vasantha Maaligai (1972) and Bhakta Kumbara (1974) are the most notable films of her career as a child artist.

[31] Sridevi's lead roles in Telugu include Padaharella Vayasu, Konda Veeti Simham, Vetagaadu, Sardar Paparayudu and Bobbili Puli.

[32] Her subsequent notable films included Bharathi Raja's Sigappu Rojakkal, S. P. Muthuraman's Priya, Karthika Deepam, Johnny, Varumayin Niram Sivappu and Aakali Rajyam.

[41] In 1982, Sridevi starred in Moondram Pirai playing a woman suffering from retrograde amnesia and went on to win the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress.

[citation needed] A remake of her Tamil film Moondram Pirai, Sadma is included in iDiva's list of '10 Must Watch Movies That Weren't Blockbusters'.

According to CNN-IBN's Bollywood Blockbusters, "Sridevi's popularity grew so much that despite having a guest appearance in Janbaaz, she completely overshadowed the film's lead heroine Dimple Kapadia.

[64] Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it became one of the highest grossing hits of the year and also found a place in Hindustan Times' list of 'Top 10 Patriotic Films of Hindi Cinema'.

[67] Rediff also featured Sridevi in its list of 'Super 6 Comic Heroines' stating that "her mobile face expressions could give Jim Carrey sleepless nights" and that "her biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera".

[86] The same year, Sridevi also starred in the slapstick comedy ChaalBaaz, which had her play a double role of twin sisters separated at birth.

[64] Speaking to The Indian Express about Sridevi's act in ChaalBaaz, the director Pankaj Parashar said "She proved her range with the movie and after that she got lots of offers which saw her in a double role".

[52][95] Talking about the film, critic Rachel Dwyer wrote in her biography of the film-maker "Chopra's own favourite film, Lamhe (Moments (1991)), divided the audience on a class basis: it was hugely popular with metropolitan elites and the overseas market, which allowed it to break even, but it had a poor box-office response (largely lower-class, especially the repeat audience) because of its supposed incest theme".

[96] The Hindu reported that "With shades of incest, Lamhe caused more than a flutter and remained the talk of the town",[97] while Sridevi herself admitted in an interview with Rajeev Masand that she found the subject "too bold".

Khuda Gawah still remains popular in Afghanistan and Rediff reported that the film is "in great demand after the reopening of cinema halls in the country" in 2001.

During the production of Jurassic Park in 1992–93, acclaimed Hollywood director and producer Steven Spielberg approached Sridevi for a small role in the film.

[103] Though the film failed at the box office, Sridevi was appreciated with Times of India calling her disguise in a comedy scene "the best ever South Indian role played by any actress".

She managed to exemplify female emotion and robustness to a great degree that you remember the film largely for her significant contribution towards it,"[105] Her performance earned her another nomination for Best Actress at Filmfare.

"[114] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN wrote Sridevi delivers "a performance that is nothing short of perfect [...] It's warm and fuzzy, and leaves you with a big smile on your face.

[120] She topped Rediff.com's annual listing of the "Bollywood's Best Actresses" in 2012; the website wrote English Vinglish "is a simple film where things are credible, never melodramatic" and Sridevi "always judges the tone right.

[133] Sridevi had signed the 2019 period romantic drama Kalank, produced by Karan Johar; however, due to her demise she was replaced by Madhuri Dixit.

[15][138] Her mother died in 1996,[15] as a result of the complications suffered from an operation that she underwent in 1995 on a brain tumour at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

This was widely reported in US media at that time which then led to a successful court battle and prompted then President Bill Clinton's proposal of a program for hospitals to disclose their medical errors.

[145] Commenting on her reserved nature, Firstpost says; "Behind the glamorous heroine with twinkling, magical eyes and a stunning face, was an inherently shy woman, often mistaken as arrogant.

However, he had already planned a surprise visit to his wife, with whom he spoke on the morning of 24 February, when she told him that "Papa (that's how Sridevi addressed Boney), I'm missing you.

Ashraf Thamarassery, helped bring back her body to India[158][159] by her husband and her stepson, Arjun Kapoor, on a private jet belonging to Anil Ambani.

Her husband, Boney Kapoor, wrote: "To the world, she was their Chandni, the actor par excellence, their Sridevi, but to me, she was my love, my friend, mother to our girls, my partner.

[185] An epitaph in Firstpost pointed out that Sridevi had been sufficiently important as an actor to be able to refuse parts in movies,[186] and The News Minute called her "a pathbreaker in many ways".

[199][200] Sridevi's performances, acting style and technique have been influential and have inspired numerous actresses including Divya Bharti,[201] Juhi Chawla,[202] Karisma Kapoor,[203] Kajol,[204] Rani Mukerji,[205] Preity Zinta,[206] Kareena Kapoor Khan,[207] Priyanka Chopra Jonas,[208] Katrina Kaif,[209] Vidya Balan,[210] Deepika Padukone,[211] Alia Bhatt,[212] and Soumitrisha Kundu,[213] who have cited her as an inspiration.