The sudden death of India’s Chandni sent shockwaves through India.
Sridevi, who is often hailed as India’s first female superstar, was found unconscious in her bathtub, in Dubai, on February 24, by husband Boney Kapoor. The death certificate said that death was caused due to “accidental drowning.”
Here is what actually what actually happened on that day, narrated by Boney Kapoor
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Boney Kapoor has recalled the events of that fateful night to his long-time friend, film critic and trade analyst Komal Nahta.
In his conversation with Nahta, Boney gave a detailed account of what actually transpired on the evening of February 24, when he gave a surprise visit to Sridevi at the Dubai hotel. He revealed how he had planned the surprise and how his daughter Janhvi seconded his idea of a surprise visit. He reveals that they hugged and kissed when he surprised her and sometime later, his universe collapsed on seeing her lying in the bathtub full of water, without a drop of water spilled out of the tub.
The full account has been shared by Nahta on his blog, the link to which he shared on his Twitter account. He writes, “It was a surprise reminiscent of the one Boney had given Sridevi 24 years ago when they had freshly fallen madly in love with one another and were contemplating marriage.” Had everything gone down well, it would have been one of the cutest surprised in the love story of the couple.
The blog post further informed, “Boney’s unscheduled trip to Dubai was much like his Bangalore trip in 1994 – to surprise Sridevi who had decided to spend a couple of days in Dubai to shop for daughter Janhvi after the hectic and enjoyable wedding of Boney’s nephew, actor Mohit Marwah, in nearby Ras al-Khaimah on 20th February. Boney had an important meeting to attend in Lucknow on 22nd, which he did. Sridevi had a shopping list, from daughter Janhvi, stored in her cell phone. She had planned to shop on February 21, but could not as she had forgotten her cell phone in Ras al-Khai mah. She made the most of it by relaxing in her room all through the day. On 22nd, too, she spent time with her friend, chatting and relaxing in her hotel room, necessitating a change in her return schedule to India. The lazing around continued on 23rd too, making hubby Boney change her ticket to India.”
Boney shared, “On 24th morning, I spoke to her, when she told me, ‘Papa (that’s how she addressed Boney), I’m missing you.’ I also told her that I was missing her a lot. But I didn’t tell her that I would be joining her in Dubai in the evening. Janhvi had seconded my idea of going to Dubai because she was scared, her mom, not used to being alone, would misplace her passport or some important document if she was alone.”
The post informs that Boney had earlier left Sridevi alone on a trip abroad only on two occasions in the past 24 years. “Although I didn’t accompany her on those two trips, I made sure that my friend’s wife was with her on both the occasions,” explained the caring and protective husband as he tried to fight back tears. “The Dubai stay was the first time Sridevi was alone for two days – 22nd and 23rd – in a foreign land,” Boney shared.
Boney also shared that he had spoken to Sridevi in the afternoon around 3:30 pm before taking off for Dubai. He told her that he’s going to be busy in a meeting for the next few hours hence his phone may be switched off, so that the actress doesn’t panic on finding his phone switched off.
The post further informs: “Boney reached the Dubai hotel at around 6.20 p.m., Dubai time, soon after landing in Dubai. While he was doing his check-in formalities at the hotel and taking a duplicate key to Sridevi’s room, he asked the bell boy to delay taking his bag to the room as he was too excited about catching her by complete surprise. The two hugged like teenage lovers once Boney opened the door with his duplicate key. “But she told me, she had a hunch that I would come to Dubai to fetch her,” Boney recalled amidst sobs. The couple hugged, kissed and chatted for almost half an hour.”
After freshening up, Boney suggested that they go for a romantic dinner and requested Sridevi to postpone the shopping for Janhvi to the next day. Since they would have to make changed in their return tickets to head back to India on the night of February 25, they would have ample amount of time to shop during the day. The post suggests that the actress was still in relaxation mode when she decided to go for a bath to get ready for the dinner date with Boney.
The blog post further reveals the details of what followed:
Said Boney, “I went to the living room while Sridevi went to the master bathroom to bathe and get ready.” In the living room, Boney surfed channels to watch the South Africa-India cricket match but after spending around four or five minutes doing that, he chanced upon another channel which was showing the Pakistan Super League cricket match highlights. He watched the match for around 15-20 minutes but was beginning to get restless thereafter because he was aware that being a Saturday, there would be a rush in the restaurants. It was around 8 p.m. then.
Boney’s impatience made him shout out to Sridevi from the living room itself. After calling out to her twice, Boney lowered the volume of the TV set. Still no reply. He then walked to the bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door and even called out to her. The unsuspecting husband, hearing the tap inside on, then called out “Jaan, Jaan” still louder but got no reply, which was unusual. He panicked and opened the door which had not been bolted from inside, nervous but yet not at all prepared for what he was going to see. The tub was full of water and Sridevi was immersed completely, from head to toe, inside the tub. Devastated, he reached out to her but watching her motionless, he feared the worst.
Sridevi had drowned! Boney’s world had come crashing down. He himself was drowned in sorrow and misery as the centre of his world had passed on to another world. Boney’s sweet surprise to Sridevi just two hours back had given way to the worst shock of Boney’s life because it all happened so suddenly. Sridevi, who had gone to get ready for her dinner date with hubby Boney, had, by an unfortunate turn of events, actually and unwittingly started to get ready for her final journey.
Perhaps, we won’t ever get to know whether she first fell unconscious and then drowned or vice versa.
Sridevi’s mortal remains were flown into Mumbai from Dubai on February 27, and a state funeral was held on February 28.
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