It was February 24, 2018 that the whole nation woke up to the shocking news of Sridevi's demise. Sridevi died of accidental drowning in a bath-tub inside her room in Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. If the sense of losing a superstar was not enough, it was the untimely and shocking cause of death that put a dagger through every film lover's heart.
The family was not even allowed to grieve as what followed Sridevi's death was a series of ridiculous conspiracy theories, media misreporting and mockery of journalism.
Mockery by media
In their bid to report Sridevi's death, the media didn't leave a stone unturned in making a complete mockery out of it. They almost turned it into a sensation. There was no space for real emotions, grief and empathy. Bathtubs, liquor bottles, caricatures, repulsive tickers, corpse pictures and inconsiderate headlines turned into a permanent fixture for reporting Sridevi's death.
The inhumane journalism
Several blind items and conspiracy theories were run after the Chalbaaz actress' death. Their family was targeted. Boney Kapoor was not spared either. Blind items carried stories of how alcohol was the reason behind her death. Sridevi's past was dug out. There was no family member whose character was not assassinated during the process.
Several channels further stooped down by showing their own reporters laying in a bath tub and reporting how it must have happened. Reporters even recreated the whole scene by placing a bath tub in their news room studios. It was a predatory show of views and TRPs with no respect for the privacy of the devastated family. It was a new low even for the dying standards of journalism.
Allegations of planned murder
Filmmaker Sunil Singh had moved to Supreme Court alleging foul play in the death of Sridevi. He had claimed that he also happened to be in Dubai on the same dates. He had alleged that the reports he received from hotel staff and other members of the hotel was contrary to what was reported in the media. The plea was dismissed later.
Insurance money
Sunil Singh's lawyer had also claimed that an insurance policy had been bought for Sridevi in Oman. He alleged that the insurance sum was Rs 240 crore and could be encashed only if Sridevi died in Dubai.
Dawood Ibrahim involvement
Amid all the conspiracy theories a retired ACP, Ved Bhushan had claimed that Dawood Ibrahim was involved in Sridevi's death. He claimed that Dawood has a stronghold in the United Arab Emirates' city and shares a close relationship with the Dubai prince's family which could have prevented cops from a fair investigation in the case. Reacting to the allegations, Boney Kapoor had told in.com, "I don't want to react to such stupid stories. There is no need to react because such stupid stories keep coming. Basically, this is somebody's figment of imagination."
Crash diets and invasive treatments
Noted social activist Madhu Purnima Kishwar tweeted that her plastic surgeries could have been the reason behind Sridevi's death. She had tweeted:
UNTIMELY DEATH OF SUPREMELY TALENTED ACTOR #SRIDEVI IS SADDENS ME. WONDER IF IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER CRASH DIETS PLUS VARIOUS INVASIVE TREATMENTS FOR SIZE ZERO FIGURE & REGAINING YOUTHFUL LOOKS
Pressure to look younger
A certain Priya Ganguly, who is said to be a designer had written, "While we are all mourning the untimely demise of Sridevi, it is important to remember why this may have happened to her. Society demanded that she stay slimmer/look younger than a 40 year old and hence, the continuous surgeries. When i met her about 5 years ago, she was beautiful but a sad version of that self that we loved so much in a movie like Chandni. What a lot of pressure to keep her weight down, to make sure that her face had no wrinkle lines....continuous clinic visits in Southern California. As a friend of mine wrote this morning...do we need a #metoo movement in fashion,#notsize0? Milan has already implemented this but these patriarchical implants were in her head. The husband, who claimed to love her so much should have intervened. Did he love the way she looked as his arm candy more than he loved her? She herself did not trust herself in her own beauty — she was a clothes horse for whoever would care to dress her."
