I was interrogated for 24 hours: Boney Kapoor opens up on wife Sridevi's untimely death

In a first interview five years after the star's demise, the producer spoke about what happened that night in Dubai

Bollywood's renowned filmmaker Boney Kapoor has opened up for the first time about the untimely demise of his superstar wife, Sridevi. Touted as India's first female superstar, Sridevi was found unconscious in a bathtub in her Dubai hotel room in 2018, when she had flown to attend a family wedding. She was 54.

Post her passing away, Boney was under scrutiny and was also interrogated by the Dubai police following Sridevi's death. The producer was eventually let go but the death of the love of his life had impacted him tremendously. Now, in a first interview five years after the Judaai star's demise, Boney spoke about what happened that night and how he was questioned regarding Sridevi's death as well.

When asked about accusations against him, Boney told The New Indian, “It was not a natural death; it was an accidental death." The filmmaker furthered, "I had decided not to speak about it because I spoke about it for almost 24 or 48 hours together when I was being investigated and interrogated. That is how I got a clean chit from the Dubai police. In fact, the officers said we had to go through this because there was a lot of pressure from Indian media."

Boney went on, "Well, I said I have nothing more to say than what I have been saying. And they discovered there was no foul play. I went through all the tests, including lie detector tests and all those things. And then, of course, the report which came clearly stated it was accidental death by drowning.”

'Sridevi often starved herself'The producer also shed light on how Sridevi's failing health could also be factored in on her untimely death. Boney went on to talk about his wife's health which he said was influenced by her crash diets. He said that their family physician always advised Sridevi against her strict diet. “She often used to starve; she wanted to look good,” he said.

The filmmaker paused and explained how one tends to look ‘broader and bigger’ in camera. “She would make sure that she is chiselled and in good shape, so that on-screen, she looks good,” Boney said. He went on to reveal that Sridevi had come down to 46-47 kgs in past and cited examples of films like English Vinglish.

Boney also shared that the late star used to avoid salt. “From the time she was married to me, she had blackouts on a couple of occasions, and the doctor kept on saying she had a low BP issue, don't get into this severe diet where you avoid salt," he continued.

“It was unfortunate. Later when she passed away. Nagarjuna had come home to offer his condolences, and he told me that during one of her movies, she was again on a crash diet, and that’s how she fell in the bathroom and broke her teeth,” Boney remarked.

On Janhvi's birth

Boney also spoke about his controversial marriage to the star which took place in 1996. Before her, Boney was married to Mona Shourie Kapoor and fathered two kids with his first wife, Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor and Anshula Kapoor.

He said, “My second marriage, my marriage with Sri (took place in Shirdi). We got married on June 2." The producer then addressed the rumours that claim their daughter Janhvi Kapoor was born before the marriage. "We exchanged vows, we spent a night there and it was only in January when her pregnancy was seen that we had no choice, but to marry publicly. It took place in Shirdi, on June 2. (But), in public, we were married only in January (1997). That is why some scribes still write she (Janhvi) was born before marriage, something like that,” Boney added.

About Sridevi's demise

On the fateful night, Sridevi was getting ready at a hotel room in Dubai for a dinner date with her producer-husband. She suffered a cardiac arrest before leaving which led to her sudden demise.

Boney flew back from Mumbai and went to her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel at around 5:30pm, on Saturday to "surprise" her with dinner, a source close to the family revealed. He woke her up and the couple chatted for about 15 minutes before he invited her for dinner.

The Mom star then went to the washroom. After 15 minutes had passed and Sridevi did not come out, Boney knocked on the door to check on her. When he got no response, he forced open the door to find his wife lying motionless in the bathtub full of water, the source added.

"He tried to revive her and when he could not, he called a friend of his. After that, he informed the police at 9pm," said the source. The police and paramedics rushed to the site but she was pronounced dead. Her body was taken to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

Sridevi, Boney and their younger daughter Khushi Kapoor were in Ras Al Khaimah last week to celebrate the wedding of her actor-nephew Mohit Marwah. Boney had returned to Mumbai after the wedding but decided to return to Dubai to "surprise" his wife. The autopsy was completed on the evening of February 25 and the body is expected to be flown back via a private plane to Mumbai on February 26.

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