Sridevi's Mom
Sridevi's Mom

Sridevi's cause of death — accidental drowning — have pushed people to question the series of changing statements since her demise and the unnecessary 'delay'. Television news channels have 'bathrooms and bathtubs' on screen and are investigating Sridevi's death by sensationalising it.

A few of the Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Farhan Akhtar, Sonu Sood, even journalists like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai, along with Sridevi's fans are now condemning the "sensational" reporting on her death. A few are saying: "It's interesting that about 10,000 people, in the media and outside, have overnight gained expertise in forensics, surgery and post-mortem procedures at the same time as they have lost it generally #SrideviDeathMystery"

Hema Malini wrote on Twitter: "This is not the time to analyze the reasons or belittle her passing away. Let us instead resolve to bestow on her the dignity of death & show her the respect she deserves. We owe it to her."

Barkha Dutt a few minutes back wrote on Twitter: "When Donald Trump Jr. paid us the 'compliment' and called the Indian Media "Mild & Nice" we should have been very insulted. Mild is bad enough, now we aren't even nice ! The horrid coverage of #sridevideath"

Jaaved Jaafri wrote on Twitter: "#Sridevi was so much like #MichaelJackson. No childhood. Pressure to perform since a child. Always competing with own self. Extremely quiet and introverted but exploded while performing, like 'that' was their life and not the one outside"

Ridiculous, Ludicrous, Insidious — these are the terms floating on social media for the coverage by Indian news channels on Sridevi's death.

One user commented: "You ignore 254 movies in 5 languages over 45 years. You ignore private grief. You presume, conjecture, mock a death clutching a sketchy preliminary report. Dear shrill TV channels: You need to be investigated first on charges of murdering news. #SrideviDeathMystery #Sridevi"

Barkha Dutt in her opinion piece in The Washington Post wrote: "As a broadcast journalist (currently on a sabbatical from the TV screen), I felt deeply embarrassed. I am sure I have done shows I am not super proud of, but never this. I saw one channel reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to her final hours by showing a floating Sridevi in a bathtub. Another tweeted a promotional promising all the details of "Sridevi's last 15 minutes in bathroom.""

She concluded by saying: "Sridevi was an icon who deserved much better than this salacious scavenging. For me, the final embarrassment was watching a news host on India's most watched Hindi channel stand next to a white bathtub across which was emblazoned the words "Maut Ka Bathtub," or "The Bathtub of Death." In the hashtag-driven banality that has come to define prime-time news, I thought it deserved a counter-hashtag. "#NewsKiMaut," I retorted — "The Death of News." Not just Sridevi but television news needs an obituary, I said. It was trending nationally within five minutes of my tweet. Should the fact that so many are disgusted give me hope?"

Sridevi's untimely death has left everyone shocked. While India still waits to receive Sridevi's mortal remains, Indian envoy to the UAE, Navdeep Suri, took to Twitter to share: "The media interest in untimely demise of #Sridevi is understandable. But the frenzy of speculation does not help. Imp to note that:
1. We are working with local authorities to ensure that mortal remains can be sent to India at the earliest. We are on the job. 2. We are in regular contact with the family of #Srideviand other well- wishers. We share their pain.
3. Our experience in similar cases tells us that it does take 2-3 days to complete processes
4. We leave it to the experts to determine cause of demise
Let's be responsible."

The latest development is that Navdeep Suri told news agency PTI that the embassy is waiting for "another clearance" from the Dubai authorities for the body to be released and flown back to Mumbai.

RIP Sridevi.