Though they didn't belong to the same era in Bollywood, Sridevi and Hema Malini were not known to be friends with each other. They both came from similar backgrounds (Sri and Hema hail from Tamil Nadu) and even started their film careers down south, later making their foray into the Hindi film industry.
But looks like even now Sri and Hema prefer to keep each other at an arm's length. Onlookers at a recent awards ceremony in the late filmmaker Yash Chopra's memory, the two veterans kept their distance and chatted up with their own sets of friends.
According to a source from the event, the actresses arrived at the venue within minutes of each other. Interestingly, they not only refused to be photographed together, the duo also retired to their own corners after the regular meet-and-greet session with their acquaintances.
Says an insider present at the event, `Sri and Hema were standing right next to each other on two occasions but did not exchange a word. Also, towards the end of the event, they ensured that they did not stand together in a picture. To avoid further awkwardness, Pamela Chopra took her place between the two and the trio then proceeded for a snap.`
However, a source close to the actresses say, `Sri and Hema are very cordial with each other. This time, we are not sure about what happened.` However, insiders at the show say that both actresses were at the event as the brand ambassadors of two separate water purifier brands. Perhaps, the professional rivalry continues?