Smriti Irani Calls Media Coverage of Sridevi’s Death “Deplorable”

Speaking about the sensationalist tone of Indian media’s coverage of veteran actor Sridevi’s death, former actor and I&B Minister Smriti Irani lashed out against these channels, in an interview in Kolkata with Barkha Dutt.

The Minister’s statements came in response to the fact that the media had concocted scenarios around her death, going so far as to suggest that the reason behind her death were a series of intensive botox surgeries and forced diets, even before her mortal remains had been brought back from Dubai.

As I&B Minister, I would like to say the indignity thrust upon a legend like Sridevi in coverage by TV channels was deplorable. Even the ambulance bringing back her mortal remains was chased. Viewers are disgusted. 

In fact, the media’s coverage of the untimely and what they saw as “mysterious” death of Sridevi went from pointed side-remarks before the post-mortem was carried out to large-scale accusatory theories by the time it was concluded.

Mahaa News, a Telugu channel, had even gone as far as to re-enact Sridevi’s death, her final moments before she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub. They made one of their reporters crawl into the supposed position that Sridevi was in the bathtub when she was found.

Another one by ABP News posed the question: “Dinner date per hi kyun le jaana chahte the, Boney Kapoor? (Why did Boney Kapoor take Sridevi out on a dinner-date that day?”).