Boney Kapoor opens up on the tragic passing of Sridevi in Dubai: Insights into her health and sudden demise

New Delhi: The unexpected and sudden demise of the legendary actress Sridevi in 2018 sent shockwaves through the nation. Regarded as the greatest female superstar in Indian film history, her untimely passing in Dubai on February 24, 2018, at the age of 54, left an indelible mark on the film industry and her countless fans. While her husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor, chose to remain silent about the tragic loss of his beloved wife and actress, he has now chosen to break his silence.

In a recent interview with The New Indian, Boney Kapoor shed light on the sudden demise of Sridevi and shared insights into her health struggles. He revealed that Sridevi adhered to incredibly strict diets that excluded salt, which, on occasions, led to her passing out. Kapoor explained, “It was not a natural death; it was an accidental death. I had decided not to speak about it because I spoke about it for almost 24 or 48 hours together when I was being investigated and interrogated. In fact, the officers said we had to go through this because there was a lot of pressure from Indian media. And they discovered there was no foul play. I went through all the tests, including lie detector tests and all those things. And then, of course, the report which came clearly stated it was accidental.”

Sridevi’s Commitment to Her On-Screen Persona

Kapoor went on to share that Sridevi often went to great lengths to maintain her on-screen persona. She would frequently abstain from food as part of her efforts to look her best on screen. Kapoor remarked, “She often used to starve; she wanted to look good. She wanted to make sure she was in good shape so that on-screen, she looked good. From the time she was married to me, she had blackouts on a couple of occasions, and the doctor kept on saying she had a low BP issue.”

Boney Kapoor also recounted an incident shared with him by actor Nagarjuna, which highlighted the severity of Sridevi’s dietary practices. During the shooting of one of her films, she had another fainting episode due to her crash diet and even lost a tooth as a result. Kapoor recalled, “It was unfortunate. Later, when she passed away, Nagarjuna came home to offer his condolences, and he told me that during one of her movies, she was again on a crash diet, and that’s how she fell in the bathroom and broke her teeth.”

Acknowledging his awareness of her strict dietary habits after their marriage, Kapoor disclosed that he would consult with doctors to ensure a small amount of salt was added to her diet. He further noted that even during dinner, she would request dishes without any salt. Kapoor remarked, “Unfortunately, she didn’t take this seriously, and he also thought maybe it couldn’t be this serious until the incident happened.”

Sridevi’s memory continues to live on as an enduring legend in the annals of Indian cinema.