For an Indian actor with a filmography of more than 300 names, Sridevi has been somewhat conspicuous by her absence in Bengali films. This, of course, does not mean there was any love lost between the deceased diva and Kolkata – the City of Joy – or its fashion and culture.
Coming from south India, she naturally had an eye for a good sari and mosly got hers designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee – one of the most sought-after designers by the A-listers in Bollywood. A pack of surprises, however, were handed over to Gulf News by Abhijit Sarkar, the head honcho of Corporate Communications of Sahara India, on Wednesday where Sridevi looks stunning, as usual, in cotton sarees at a Durga Puja celebration some few years ago.
“They were taken at the household Durga Puja of our chairman Mr Subrata Roy in Lucknow in 2013. She and her husband Boney ji [Kapoor] were regulars at the Puja as well as all social function[s] of the Sahara family. She had a keen eye for Bengali rituals and as the pictures will tell you, was most comfortable in participating in the sindoor khela [the practice of exchange of vermillion among housewives on the eve of immersion of Durga]. Her death is a big loss for us,” Sarkar said over phone.
Last year, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor took part in Dadagiri – an extremely popular reality show hosted by former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly – as part of a promotional activity for Mom, her last released film. The actress showed a sense of occasion there by dressing up as a traditional Bengali housewife again.
A few years back, Kapoor – a film producer - took up the franchise of Bengali Tigers, a cricket team comprising of actors of Bengali film industry for the Celebrity Cricket League. This required Sridevi and Boney often travelling to different cities of India to cheer their team playing – ala the Shah Rukh Khans and Juhi Chawlas during the IPL games.
A routine, where she apparently showed great enthusiasm – egging the Bengal Tigers on from the makeshift dugouts in the team’s purple jersey!
If you have a story to tell contact: Gautam Bhattacharyya (gbhattacharyya@gulfnews.com)
