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."
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.
— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) February 27, 2018
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"
#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
— Jaaved Jaaferi (@jaavedjaaferi) February 27, 2018
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 - my piece in WaPo on starting #NewsKiMaut https://t.co/ZATUV3Wiax
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 27, 2018
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"
T 2627 - Get back to love .. it is the only sustainable !!
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) February 26, 2018
I wonder after doing such reporting about a legend who lost her life..can these people sleep in peace? Ashamed to live in times where we have to see such a standard of reporting on reputed channels. #ShameOnYou ..let someone rest in peace ??
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) February 26, 2018
Dear Indian news channels, show a little tact. Parasites. #Sridevi
— Vir Das (@thevirdas) February 26, 2018
#rip indian news channels.
— kunal kohli (@kunalkohli) February 26, 2018
The only answer to these #Sridevi hideous hashtags on news tv tonight is one of our own : #NewsKiMaut. Forget a bathtub; a drain pipe will do for this gutter level rubbish. Ashamed to be affiliated with this. Relieved to not be on air in this present environment
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) February 26, 2018
These same channels used to run just to get a glimpse or a small byte from her.. n now they come up with such reporting! Better retire guys?? U can’t go more disgraceful ?? ur reporting is the biggest SADMA to ur viewers. #gorestinpeace
— sonu sood (@SonuSood) February 26, 2018
RIP means REST IN PEACE.
— Mini Mathur (@minimathur) February 26, 2018
This reportage is anything but that.
Several hundred years later history books will mark these years for the death of journalism.
— Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) February 26, 2018
There’s no bottom in the barrel of the graceless.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) February 26, 2018
May they let you rest in peace.... pic.twitter.com/stoWljWkbf
— vidya balan (@vidya_balan) February 26, 2018
I wonder wht do these news channels achieve by having these debates everyday. . wht is their contribution to the topics at the end of each debate ... Debates on channels shld only be allowed if they cld do something good ...talk less and do more u useless minds ?
— Nigaar Z. Khan (@NigaarZKhan) February 26, 2018
And not for the first time, Indian news channels are now forensic experts, doctors and sleuths based on zero hard info . We don't let people live in peace, we won't let them die either! #Sridevi
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) February 26, 2018
Dont know which is a bigger tragerdy. #sridevi passing away or the mad feeding frenzy of it by the media.. heart goes out to boney sahab i hope hes ok ?
— Abhishek Kapoor (@Abhishekapoor) February 26, 2018
We all are scared about how we will all die when we are young but today it makes me more scared about what would the media report after we are dead. Can people just stop reporting. We dont wanna know anything anymore #Sridevi
— Shweta Pandit (@ShwetaPandit7) February 26, 2018
It is very very sad the way certain news channels are treating the passing of a lady, a daughter, a wife and most importantly, a mother of 2 young girls.. agreed, she was an actor n the ppl want to know details, but this?? #sridevi ji sorry but they won’t let you even RIP ?
— Rohit Roy (@rohitroy500) February 26, 2018
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 media interest in untimely demise of #Sridevi is understandable. But the frenzy of speculation does not help. Imp to note that:
— IndAmbUAE (@navdeepsuri) February 26, 2018
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.
1/2
2. We are in regular contact with the family of #Sridevi and other well- wishers. We share their pain.
— IndAmbUAE (@navdeepsuri) February 26, 2018
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.