Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 29, 2017)

Mr India released 30 years ago. But it is still counted among Hindi cinema’s cult classics. Three decades later, producer Boney Kapoor is planning a sequel to the sci-fi flick.

Sridevi, who is promoting her upcoming film Mom, produced by hubby Boney, gets nostalgic, “It’s really amazing. Uss waqt when we were making Mr India, we never thought it will be spoken of even after 30 years. I am really amazed when I hear people talking about that film even now. But then, it’s a very special film. Those days, there were no special effects, no graphics, nothing. But still, everyone did a splendid job and if people are still talking about it, that means something for sure.”

Although there have been speculations about the film’s second instalment being planned, the actress says the team has not ‘locked any script’. “It’s too early to talk about Mr India 2. We have definitely thought of doing a part two. But the subject isn’t decided because it has to be something even more special than the first part,” she says. Sridevi explains that whether she will be part of the film depends “on the subject”. “It has to be about what the writers finally come up with. If it’s great, why not? I would love to do it,” she adds.

Amrish Puri, who played the baddie Mogambo is no more. So, will his part be retained? The actress says, “Mogambo will have to be there 100 per cent. But maybe, it will be a different Mogambo this time. Mr India 2 will be incomplete without Mogambo.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 26, 2017)

"The audience is too clever, you can’t fool them,” says Sridevi, ahead of the release of her upcoming film, Mom, which marks her 300th movie in the industry, and her first in five years, after her 2012 comeback vehicle, English Vinglish. “We can feel that we’ve created a masterpiece, but, people can come out calling it absolute nonsense,” she says of the thriller, which has been produced by her husband, Boney Kapoor.

Unlike several contemporaries, who’ve failed to make a mark at the box office, or even in cinephiles’ minds, with their comeback films, Sridevi’s return has established her yet again in an ever-evolving showbiz industry. One might assume that the natural next step for an actress of her stature would be to delve into the movie-making business. But Sridevi doesn’t bat an eyelid before confessing, “Direction is not my cup of tea.” She says, “It’s a big job and comes with too much responsibility. Why should I burden myself? Giving suggestions to directors, discussing themes and providing creative inputs are things that actors do anyway. I will never turn producer. Ghar mein ek producer kaafi hai. I will support Boneyji.”

Sridevi’s refusal to turn producer doesn’t mean she’s away from the filmmaking business. She is always involved in her husband’s productions, whether she features in them or not. “I am there for the narration, and script-reading sessions. We have long discussions about the plot and loop holes. Boneyji is someone with a mind of his own. On Mom, we debated a lot. But, we both believe that healthy arguments go a long way in honing the final product. We had our fair share of fights while working together in Mom, but we were on the same page.”

A sequel to her 1987 romance drama, Mr India, is “definitely” in the pipeline, but the actress confesses that she has yet to decide if she will feature in it. “The script is still being developed. Boneyji has a few ideas that are being worked on. Who knows, there could be an announcement around the corner.”

Hiren Kotwani (BOMBAY TIMES; June 25, 2017)