Her filmography showcased an astonishing range. She could unleash her flair for comedy in Chaalbaaz, embrace unabashed commercial cinema in Himmatwala, break hearts with the emotional intensity of Sadma and embody old-school Bollywood romance in Chandni. Her ability to move between genres and languages made her one of the most distinctive performers of her generation.

Built on nearly a decade of research, rare archival material and firsthand personal accounts, Empress traces that evolution while also attempting to uncover the woman behind the superstar.

Author Dheeraj Kumar, who knew Sridevi personally, described documenting her journey as a rare privilege.

“Having known Sridevi personally, it has been a rare privilege to document her extraordinary journey across five languages, five decades and more than 300 films. She remains one of world cinema’s finest actors and a South Asian icon who has touched over a billion lives with her art and movies,” Kumar said in a statement.

The biography also draws upon the perspectives of those who knew and worked with her. It features forewords by Amitabh Bachchan, Javed Akhtar and other prominent figures associated with Sridevi during her career.

Along with lesser-known stories about the actress, Empress will feature 150 rare photographs, adding an extensive visual archive to the account of her life.

But perhaps the book’s most compelling territory is Sridevi’s extraordinary box-office power. At a time when female actors were rarely expected to shoulder major commercial films, she became an exception.

From child actor to multilingual superstar, her trajectory preceded today’s conversations around pan-Indian cinema by decades. And years after her death, performances in films including Sadma, Mr India, Chaalbaaz and Chandni continue to find new audiences.

Chopra’s unveiling of Empress on Sridevi’s birth anniversary is therefore more than a book-cover reveal. It is also a reminder of a performer whose influence remains embedded in Indian popular culture — and whose absence continues to be felt.

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