Dubai - Mehta recounts her long friendship with the star and her reaction to her sudden demise.
Published: Sun 25 Feb 2018, 11:00 PM
Updated: Mon 26 Feb 2018, 12:05 PM
Former media person and Dubai-based NRI, Rita Mehta, remembers her friendship with Sridevi as she pays tribute to the legend after she suddenly passed away in UAE.
"I was shocked to hear of the death. I remember she was excited to come to the UAE for her nephew's wedding. She was excited about what she would wear, so it's pretty wedding. My daughter attended the wedding as I was away in Sri Lanka."
Talking to Khaleej Times, Mehta said that she had never heard of Sridevi having any health problems.
"Not that I ever heard of having any health problem as such but I met her two months back for Masala Awards. She got an award for her movie Mom. She was very happy that she was so appreciated."
A tigress in from of the camera
She was a great actress but there are two sides to her. When you meet her, she was very gentle and talks softly and ten in front of the camera she turns into a tigress.
It's that transformation that happens, like a chameleon. It's amazing how she projected in front of the camera - her whole personality changed.
Family person
I have known her for years and years because she has done many Cine Blitz covers. But what I found very endearing about her is that she was very much a family person.
She would serve Boney food and was always concerned about him. She was a great mother. It was the personal side that made her the beautiful woman that she was.
My last discussion with her was, I said - "Sridevi will remain the same. You always obeyed your mother and even with Boney, you let him make all the decisions. You do the acting and he makes all the other decisions in your life. Am I right?" and she said, "Yes. Absolutely."
Also, another thing is she knew that she was in the limelight and was famous but she never made Boney feel any less. That is her greatness. You may know how famous you are but you do not let that override and make your husband feel any smaller. I appreciated these lovely traits about her and also her total devotion as a wife to him. She lived her life for her family.
Also read: Pakistani stars pay tribute
Sridevi wasn't fussy, just shy
Two months back when I got her to Dubai for Masala awards, I put her up in five-star hotel at Palm Jumeirah and she fell in love with the property, and told me that she wanted to come back. She went shopping to pick up few things and was very keen on having local designer, Ayesha Depala, design her clothes but it was a little too late.
There was nothing fussy about Sridevi. I have dealt with stars over 40 years. There were no demands. She did as I requested her to. I have known Boney forever, maybe because of that.
Sridevi gets this impression of being a stuck up but she is just shy.
Death disturbed me
She always looks to Boney for strength. The beauty was that he let her live her life to the fullest and vice versa. This is what I admired about their marriage.
The fact that she died before her daughter Jhanvi's debut film kept disturbing me a lot last night because she was always with her children. She was a very devoted lady.
Ram Gopal Verma once said and let me quote him, "I am surprised that Boney makes her serve dinner but it's not that he wanted her to but she wanted to serve him his meals."
That was the depth of her devotion to her family. he was there during her time of need when her mother was ill and she has never forgotten that he was there by her side every minute. This is what makes an ideal marriage, in this industry especially where everybody is busy fooling around.
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