By Anindita Mukherjee Last Updated:
An impending doom had dawned upon us on the night of February 24, 2018. Early morning the next day, we all couldn’t believe our eyes when news headlines had flashed that Bollywood has lost its Chandni forever. A multi-talented actress, who was perfect in every skill required to have a name like hers, Sridevi Kapoor, had breathed her last on that day. Almost a year-and-a-half has passed since Sridevi’s demise and the void of her absence only seems to deepen with each passing day. (Do Read: Sajid Khan Is Now Friends With Ex-Lover, Jacqueline Fernandes And Even Dropped Her Home Post Shoot?)
If we, as audiences are affected so deeply with Sridevi Kapoor being gone, the state of her family is hard to coin in words. And that is exactly where a film named on the late Sridevi and uncanny similarities to her death come into play. Famously known as the ‘wink girl’, Priya Prakash Varrier is soon going to make her debut in Bollywood with her upcoming December release, Sridevi Bungalow. The film’s trailer had released earlier this year and its plot-line had garnered a lot of criticisms for its close relevance to Sridevi’s death. Take a look at the trailer here:
The trailer of the film shows an actress who is sometimes a free bird, is very social yet cornered at times. While all was well, the last shot of the film did not go down well with Boney Kapoor. The trailer ended with the film’s lead, who regards her as ‘Sreedevi’ in the film, Priya Prakash Varrier, dying in a bathtub. With a similar name and parallel plot to Sridevi’s demise, it is hard to comprehend the same to be a coincidence. And thus, the late superstar, Sridevi Kapoor’s husband, Boney Kapoor had sent a legal notice to the makers of the film.
But what looks like it, the makers of Sridevi Bungalow have turned blind eye to the legal notice sent by Boney Kapoor and the film is even slated for a December 2019 release. Boney is reportedly ‘disgusted’ by the entire flow of events and thus, has decided to take stringent measures against the use of Sridevi’s name in the movie. A source close to Boney Kapoor has shared with the Deccan Chronicle, “He is disgusted by all those who have chosen to be associated with this lurid project. When he heard the film's title and saw the first look, Boney had sent a legal notice to the producer. But so far they've ignored the notice. Boney intends to take even more strict legal action, asking for a restraining order against using Sridevi's name in the title. They can make what they like - it's a free world. But they can't use that name.”
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It is also a matter worth mentioning that quite like Boney Kapoor, many well-known names in Bollywood have put forward their objection against the film. But there are quite a few who have also spoken in support. In fact, it is also reported in the same publication that B-town stars such as Arbaaz Khan and his ladylove, Georgia Andriani have also worked in pivotal roles in the film. (Must Read: Tara Sutaria Of SOTY 2 Fame Finds A New BFF In Actor Aadar Jain, We Wonder What Is Cooking?)
Talking about earlier reports against the film, Sridevi Kapoor’s hubby, Boney Kapoor had sued the film due to close relevance with his wife’s death. Confirming the news, the maker of the film, Prasanth Mambully had said, “We received a legal notice from Mr Boney Kapoor last week, and we will face it. I want to say that my film is a suspense thriller. I told him [Kapoor] that Sridevi is a common name. My character also happens to be an actress. We will face it." Priya Prakash Varrier too had revealed if the movie is based on Sridevi’s life during an interaction at the film’s trailer launch. She had stated, "You have to watch the film and decide if it’s a story related to her not." Further speaking about her role, she had added, "I will be playing the role of lady superstar Sridevi in the film."
For the uninitiated, Boney Kapoor is already planning to make a biopic on the life of his wife, Sridevi Kapoor. Speaking about the same, a source had shared with the Deccan Chronicle, “He’s definitely planning to tell Sridevi’s story in a movie before anyone else does. Believe me, there are several filmmakers planning to make films on her. Before they get down to it, Boney wants to copyright her life story so that only he will be able to make his wife’s bio-pic the way he wants to.” The source had further added, “Several journalists and authors have approached Boney and he may very soon select someone to write on Sridevi. There are many plans to further the Sri legend in 2019.”
One-and-a-half-year has passed since Sridevi Kapoor’s demise and her husband, Boney Kapoor has time and again shared how much he misses his wife. To commemorate one year of Sridevi’s death, the doting hubby has auctioned a favourite purple kota saree of the actress and the money earned through the same had gone to a non-profit charitable trust. Click here for all the details on the auction.
To take you all in a throwback memory lane, remember how, at the 19th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, it was a difficult and emotional moment for Boney Kapoor when he had walked up to the stage and had received the ‘Best Actress’ award on behalf of Sridevi for her phenomenal performance in MOM. Unable to hold onto his emotions, tears of melancholy and pride had rolled down his cheeks as he held the award in his hand. He had said with tears in his eyes, “I miss her every moment of my life”. His son, Arjun Kapoor and brother, Anil Kapoor, had immediately rushed to the stage to comfort Boney. Anil had held the mike and said, “She was a true genius. The country, the world and our family misses you.” (Also Read: KL Rahul Breaks His Silence Over Dating Rumours With Alia Bhatt's BFF Akansha Ranjan)
In an earlier interview with the PTI, Boney Kapoor had talked about life after Sridevi Kapoor’s demise. He had then shared, “I feel the loss of her every second of my life, not just me even my children do. This is something that we have to live with. Unfortunately, she was snatched away from us sooner than anybody expected.” He had also added, “Today this vacuum, this void cannot be replaced but the good wishes and the goodwill that she has left behind is something that we can live with... She is with me, in my memories... with my children.”
Guys, what do you have to say about Sridevi Bungalow? Let us know!