Ever since the forensic reports were released by the Dubai Police on February 26, stating that actress Sridevi’s death was a case of accidental drowning and that traces of alcohol were found in her body, speculations in the media reached a crescendo with reporters and news organisations taking it upon themselves to float their own conspiracy theories. While there were those who held panel discussions and spoke to “experts” on prime-time news shows, the scene was no different on social media.
Speaking to ANI, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that he thinks her death is a murder and also alleged that she had an illicit relationship with gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Let’s wait for prosecution to pronounce it. Facts in media doesn’t appear to be consistent. She never drank hard liquor, how did it enter her system? What happened to CCTV? Doctors suddenly appeared before media & said she died of heart failure: Subramanian Swamy on #Sridevi pic.twitter.com/ELMQtesPpZ
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018
Cinema actresses aur Dawood ke jo rishte hain, naajayaz rishte hain us par hamein thoda dhyaan dena padega: Subramanian Swamy pic.twitter.com/Jtq8JUnEph
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018
Former actress and talk show host Simi Garewal felt Sridevi’s death was too similar to singer Whitney Houston’s. Houston died of drug overdose in 2012.
Uncanny similarities in the death of #Sridevi and Whitney Houston..
— Simi Garewal (@Simi_Garewal) February 26, 2018
Some, like this user, tweeted a thread of what his “reliable sources” told him and why it’s a murder and he is not afraid to call Sridevi’s death that.
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Other then condolence messages, I didn’t tweet anything on #Sridevi even when many of u asked me.
A D V E R T I S E M E N TNow i do have some inputs and that smell rat. Something fishy
This @SrBachchan ji theory of 6th sense, I am not buying it
Did he had some hint 2/3 days in advance? pic.twitter.com/h4T5HPq20z
— #GauravPradhan ?? (@DrGPradhan) February 26, 2018
This user also drew parallel between Sunanda Pushkar, the late wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and Sridevi’s death.
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never forget that #Sunanda was also killed in hotel room not home and Spouse was not round
Exactly same plot in #sridevi except that this was staged in DUBAI, not Mumbai#SRIDEVI was murdered. I am saying this with full responsibility based on the most credible source Info
— #GauravPradhan ?? (@DrGPradhan) February 26, 2018
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma wrote a letter to her fans on Facebook, alleging that Sridevi was actually “a child trapped in a woman’s body”.
To put an end to the wild speculations, conspiracy theories and insensitive news coverage of her death, several celebrities tweeted with the hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace.
Please ?? #letherrestinpeace pic.twitter.com/85EyvLyFGq
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) February 27, 2018
May they let you rest in peace…. pic.twitter.com/stoWljWkbf
— vidya balan (@vidya_balan) February 26, 2018
Meanwhile, Bollywood as a mark of respect to the late actress, have decided to put their shoots and events on hold.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi put out a tweet saying that the Holi party she holds every year with her husband Javed Akhtar, has been cancelled.
Our Holi party at Janki Kurir stands cancelled on 2nd March in the wake of Sridevis passing away.
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 26, 2018
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma put out a tweet saying that he and southern icon Nagarjuna have postponed the launch of their film and poster to a further date, as they both aren’t in the right state of mind to go ahead with it.
At this grief stricken moment of the demise of Sridevi ,neither me nor @iamnagarjuna are in a state of mind to release the title and release date poster of #NagRGV4 ..it will be announced later pic.twitter.com/jpevQwC0tp
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) February 25, 2018
In Mumbai, the makers of 102 Not Out postponed the shoot of a song sequence. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor, both of whom have been Sridevi’s co-stars in several films.
Director Umesh Shukla told IANS, “As a mark of respect to the sudden and untimely demise of our legendary actress Sridevi, we decided to cancel our today’s song shoot of 102 Not Out. May God give peace to her soul and strength to her family.”
