Lost a true friend, industry, a true legend: Superstar Rajinikanth

Talking to reporters outside his Poes Garden residence, he said "I was extremely shocked to hear of her demise. I've known her for around 40 years and we've been acting together since my second film". 

"She's a very good friend. May her soul rest in peace and my condolences to Boney Kapoor and her family", he added.

Rajini said "everyone knows how good an actor she was. Off camera, she would be normal and listen to all the instructions given to her. And then suddenly on camera, it was as if she was fire, like electricity her performance would be."

Rajini said he had always greatly admired how she effortlessly acted in Hindi films too.

Earlier, Rajini tweeted "I'm shocked and very disturbed. I've lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends."

"I feel the pain with them #RIPSridevi ... you will be missed," he said. 

Sridevi, who had acted with both Kamal and Rajini in several blockbusters, was the dream girl of the Tamil film industry in the early and mid 80s.

She entered the film world as a child artiste in 'Thunaivan' (1969) at the tender age of six, before making her debut as a heroine in the 1976-hit 'Moondru Mudichu', in which both Kamal and Rajini acted.

Such was her sway over the audience that her performance as rural belly 'Mailu' in '16 Vayathiniley', as a typical Brahmin wife in 'Meendum Kokila', 'Moondram Pirai', in which as a young woman suffer head injury in an accident after which started behaving like a child, 'Sigappu Rojakkal', and in a series of commercial films along side Kamal and Rajini, would remain etched in the memory of the film buffs.

Actor Radhikaa Sarathkumar, who has starred with Sridevi in several films said she was an artiste par excellence. 

"So shocked to hear about Sridevi Kapoor, still in shock. My heart goes out to her family", she said. 

"An artiste par excellence, co starred in many movies with her. Can't believe this," she tweeted.

Veteran actor Lakshmi, who has acted with Sridevi, said she had never seen a dedicated and sincere child artist.

"I have acted with Sridevi in several films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. She's played my younger version and my younger sister in several films and I've never seen a more dedicated and sincere child artist, Lakshmi said. 

Noting that every producer and director was lucky to work with her, she said it was hard to come across a celebrity like Sridevi with no airs. 

"I received the news of her demise early this morning and it has come as a huge shock to all of us in the industry", Lakshmi said, adding, Sridevi would always be remembered as a committed, hard working and dedicated actress, who was always ready to give her best.