It’s been more than a year since Bollywood icon Sridevi died in Dubai due to accidental drowning, but her producer husband Boney Kapoor is still grappling to gain closure. Every move he makes is still tied to what his beloved wife wanted. “‘Nerkonda Paarvai’ is an ode to her. I feel I have fulfilled her dream of making a film down South. It was her long cherished dream. Her mother and her had even planned to make a Tamil film, but it just didn’t take off, Making movies in South was always her dream,” said an emotional Kapoor in an interview with Gulf News tabloid!.
The interview was laden with silences and audible gulps as Kapoor managed to get his emotions under control.
“Sridevi was a part of the planning of ‘Nerkonda Paarvai’. She was a part of the negotiations too ... We both felt that we owe the South Indian industry a whole lot.”
While Sridevi hails from Tamil Nadu and burst into the entertainment scene at the age of four with the Tamil film ‘Kandhan Karunai’, her husband’s biggest Bollywood hits have been inspired by South Indian blockbusterS. The late icon has also acted in over 300 films in more than five languages in a career that peaked from 1970s to the late 1990s.
“We owe both our careers and Sridevi’s stardom to the South film industry,” said Kapoor.
‘Nerkonda Paarvai’, starring South Indian superstar Ajith, is based on Hindi blockbuster ‘Pink’, a hit legal thriller that tackled sexual harrassment of women and triggered debates on what constitutes consent or coersion.
“Our film has got such a relevant social message and it will resonate with everyone ... What was wonderful was that we got a lot of support from Ajith, such a big star. He stood with us from the planning to the end,” said Kapoor.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for Kapoor at the premiere of his Tamil production in Singapore.
“I feel she [Sridevi] is watching us and I feel she can see us. I can’t talk anymore,” said Kapoor, who was fighting hard to keep his emotions under check.
At 54, Sridevi died due to an accidental drowning in a bathtub in Dubai leaving her family and millions of ardent fants mourning her sudden loss. She was in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah.
‘Nerkonda Paarvai’ is out in the UAE on August 8.
