Few names in Indian cinema command the same reverence as Sridevi’s. Emerging from the silver screens of South India to the glamour of Bollywood, she redefined stardom for actresses across the nation.

After Rajesh Khanna, India’s first superstar, Sridevi was the only woman to claim that coveted title — and her marriage to producer Boney Kapoor only added more intrigue to her luminous yet controversial journey.

Sridevi’s sudden death in 2018, reportedly after collapsing in a hotel bathroom abroad, shocked the nation.

Today, her daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, are making waves in Bollywood, carrying forward their mother’s legacy in the limelight.

But behind the glitter and fame lies a lesser-known name — Srilatha, Sridevi’s younger sister, who once dreamt of becoming a film actress like her famous sibling but quietly stepped away from the spotlight.

Over the course of her career, Sridevi acted in more than 300 films, the majority of which were box-office hits. Yet, the question remains: what happened to her younger sister, Srilatha? That very question has now resurfaced in film gossip columns.

When Sridevi entered the film industry, Srilatha was always by her side, almost like a shadow. Between 1972 and 1993, she often accompanied her sister to film sets. Although Srilatha aspired to become an actress herself, she eventually took on the role of Sridevi’s manager. Their mother, Rajeshwari, was another constant presence in Sridevi’s early years in cinema.

Srilatha later married Sanjay Ramasamy, a political activist from Tamil Nadu. Their mother, Rajeshwari, passed away in 1996 following complications from surgery. In 1995, she had undergone an operation in New York to remove a brain tumour.

The case attracted widespread attention when Sridevi filed a lawsuit, alleging that the surgeon had operated on the wrong part of her mother’s brain, causing vision and memory problems. The controversy was extensively reported in the media at the time.

Sridevi claimed that her mother’s death resulted from complications caused by the medical error and later received Rs 7.2 crore in compensation after suing the hospital. However, according to reports, she kept the entire amount, which led to a rift with her sister, Srilatha. Feeling wronged, Srilatha filed a case demanding her share of the settlement and eventually won Rs 2 crore.

Sadly, this dispute drove a wedge between the sisters, and even Sridevi’s untimely death could not mend their relationship. Although Boney Kapoor reportedly tried to reconcile them, his efforts were unsuccessful. Srilatha’s absence was noticeably felt at the prayer meeting held after Sridevi’s passing.