Jaya Prada and Sridevi were among the most celebrated actresses of the 1980s, delivering numerous successful films together and becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most popular on-screen pairings. Yet, behind the scenes, the two shared a distant relationship. Years after Sridevi’s passing, Jaya Prada reflected on their equation, revealing that they hardly ever spoke to each other despite working together for years.During her appearance on ‘Indian Idol 12’ in 2021, Jaya Prada admitted that while she considered herself fortunate to have shared screen space with Sridevi, the two remained competitors throughout their careers and never developed a personal friendship.“We never had eye contact with each other even after playing perfect sisters on screen. We both competed with each other, be it regarding dresses or dance. Every single time we met, the directors or the actors used to introduce us on set, we would simply greet each other and move ahead.”Both actresses first established themselves in the South film industry before becoming leading stars in Bollywood. Over the years, they appeared together in several films, including the Telugu hit ‘Devatha’ and its Hindi remake ‘Tohfa’, besides sharing screen space in ‘Mawaali’, ‘Maqsad’, ‘Aulad’, ‘Naya Kadam’, ‘Main Tera Dushman’ and several others.Jaya Prada also recalled a light-hearted attempt by Jeetendra and Rajesh Khanna to help the two actresses break the ice during the filming of ‘Maqsad’. According to her, the veteran actors believed that forcing them to spend time together would finally spark a conversation.“I still remember during the shoot of the Maqsad, Jeetu ji and Rajesh Khanna ji locked both of us in one makeup room for an hour as they both felt that we would start a conversation with each other but we did not even say a word. The superstars of Bollywood finally gave upon us,” she said.The veteran actress later revisited the same anecdote during her appearance on ‘The Kapil Sharma Show‘, revealing that even an hour alone in a makeup room failed to get either of them talking.Jaya Prada also became emotional while remembering Sridevi, who passed away in Dubai in February 2018. Looking back, she admitted that one of her biggest regrets was never making an effort to build a friendship with her co-star despite the many years they spent working together.“It still upsets me and I miss her a lot because I feel alone and through this platform, I would also like to say that if somewhere she is listening to me, I would just say that I wish we could talk to each other.”Despite their off-screen distance, Jaya Prada and Sridevi continued to headline several successful films together alongside Jeetendra, making the trio one of the most bankable combinations in Bollywood during the 1980s. Their collaborations included ‘Tohfa’, ‘Mawaali’, ‘Maqsad’, ‘Aulad’ and ‘Majaal’, among others.Reflecting on those memorable years, Jeetendra once expressed how much he enjoyed working with both actresses, saying, “I was so happy when he said Sridevi was going to star next to me. I used to call Sridevi and Jaya Prada as my bread and butter.”
