After the massive financial failure of Deedar-E-Yaar, Jeetendra (also the producer of the film), shifted his focus to films directed by south directors. Also because of the low-to-medium budget and aggressive shooting schedules.
This led to frequent pairing of the actor with Sridevi and Jaya Prada. Filmmakers like K. Raghuvendra Rao, T. Rama Rao, K. Bapaiah etc brought the masala formula of Hindi remakes of Telugu blockbusters.
The formula being the unapologetic mass-masala genre featuring larger than life charismatic heroes, helpless leading ladies and highly dramatic caricatureish villains.
Sridevi and Jaya Prada were bankable stars from the south and therefore they were the natural choices of the directors.
All the three were highly accomplished dancers. The music of these films acted as a surefire guarantee of commercial success.
A mixture of synth pop-disco and upbeat folk-fusion. Movies like Himmatwala, Tohfa, Mawali, Justice Chaudhury etc where Bappi Lahiri revolutionised Bollywood music with electronic beats and disco rhythms. Not to forget the colouful, fast-paced dance routines.
Some of these movies had these two actresses as sisters vying for the same man. A contrast in their acting styles with Sridevi’s electric unpredictable energy versus Jaya’s soft and composed grace was highly engaging.
Also the professional rivalry between the two pushed both the actresses to outshine each other on the screen.
These films were so consistently lucrative that Jitendra once referred to both the actresses as his “bread and butter”.
These films revived the commercial masala genre, cemented a new wave of high-energy musical dance culture and the blockbuster formula kept theatres afloat.
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