The film world was plunged into sorrow with the unexpected passing of one of Bollywood’s most illustrious stars, Sridevi, who breathed her last on February 24, 2018, in Dubai. Sridevi had gone to the city to celebrate a family wedding, but in a turn of events that dumbfounded both fans and colleagues alike, was discovered lifeless in her hotel room’s bathtub.
The enigma surrounding her untimely demise remains unsolved, a puzzle that needless to say has spawned numerous speculations and whisperings. Yet, clarity evades all, leaving more questions than answers in its wake.
Nearly half a year following the tragedy, her spouse and film producer Boney Kapoor chose to break the silence enveloping the incident. In an interview with The New Indian, he divulged poignant and startling details about his late wife. Kapoor emphasized that contrary to what some might believe, Sridevi did not suffer a natural death; it was accidental, precipitated in an all too familiar environment – a bathroom.
In the throes of grief, Kapoor recalled being ensnared in a grueling 48-hour interrogation by the Dubai authorities, in addition to laboring under the considerable weight of media scrutiny. Submitting to various assessments, including polygraph tests, Kapoor faced it all only for investigations to conclude that no foul play had been involved, echoing his statement: “And then, of course, the report which came clearly stated it was accidental death by drowning.”
Further delving into the circumstances leading up to Sridevi’s passing, Kapoor revealed her battle with low blood pressure and the concerning episodes of fainting that accompanied it. These health issues were underscored by her extreme dietary habits, as the actress often resorted to starvation in an effort to maintain her on-screen appearance – an aspect of her regimen that concerned even the medical professionals. Despite doctors’ advice to incorporate more salt into her diet, such cautions were dismissed even as the dangers they posed came into sharp relief with the tragic incident.
The revelation palimpsest also includes a narrative shard from actor Nagarjuna, a colleague of Sridevi, who had previously observed a similarly distressing episode during the shooting of a film. Sridevi, again following a crash diet, had a fainting spell, which resulted in an accident in the bathroom. This time, the actress broke her teeth, a visible and painful testament to her precarious health being balanced against her commitment to the glamorous demands of the silver screen.
Kapoor’s testimony underscores an industry and a culture where the pressure to conform to certain aesthetic standards can have dire, unintended consequences. Sridevi’s lifetime devotion to cinema, marked by an illustrious debut as a child artist in the 1967 Tamil film ‘Kandhan Karunai’, spanned decades, earning her a storied career and legion of admirers.
She was a filmic icon whose presence resonated on and off-screen, a beloved figure whose legacy prompted the sorrow and disbelief that gripped the world at the news of her passing. Indeed, for many, the conversation about Sridevi’s death has catalyzed a broader discourse about the grueling nature of celebrity, the exigencies of image management, and personal health in the context of public life.
As the DNA app now available on the Google Play Store stands testament to the advancements in technology allowing fans to absorb news, none of these digital conveniences can alleviate the sheer shock and loss that fans across the globe have felt at the demise of this cinematic giant. The void left by Sridevi in the world of entertainment and in the hearts of her admirers is profound and heartfelt. While her husband’s revelations have shone some light upon the darker aspects of her final days, the sorrow that accompanies such knowledge only serves to deepen the sense of loss felt by all who cherished her.
