‘Whether you’re poor or rich, it doesn’t matter’ … the man who prepared Sridevi for her final journey home
Away from the flashing camera and the eyes of her millions of fans in India, the actress Sridevi’s body made its way to a simple mortuary in Ajman, where a man prepared her for a final trip home.
Ashraf “Sherry” Thamarassery, 44, is a Keralite who has become a steward for those who die in the UAE.
From indebted labourers to the elite, Mr Thamarassery has helped to repatriate 4,700 bodies to 38 countries across the world. He views it as a noble responsibility.
“For them, you or me, it’s all the same and everyone is equal,” Mr Thamarassery said. “If someone dies in their room they will take them to the hospital and then to be checked at the police mortuary.
“It’s the same process in Dubai or Sharjah or any emirate. Whether you’re poor or rich, it doesn’t matter.”
Sherry offered shrugs when talking about Sridevi, 54, saying he helped to repatriate five bodies on Tuesday, including that of the famed Bollywood star.
It’s hard to overstate the power Sridevi had over the imagination of many in India. Starting as a four-year-old child star in south Indian regional movies, she later became known for her impeccable comic timing and her dancing skills.
She appeared in hundreds of films, perhaps best known for her Hawa Hawai routine in the 1987 film Mr India.
She smashed into the male-dominated movie industry to become a star.
Sridevi, whose name means “Goddess” in Hindi, died in Dubai. Police and prosecutors say she drowned in a hotel bath after losing consciousness, calling her death accidental.
News of her death dominated India’s media outlets, with coverage ranging from the restrained to the lurid.
One TV station aired a segment in which a reporter talked about her death while laying in a bath. Many newspapers chose not to mention that she had alcohol in her system, while a hashtag #LetHerRestInPeace emerged on social media.
While Indian officials quickly cancelled her passport and prepared the other documents, Mr Thamarassery said the necessary police clearance slowed Sridevi’s repatriation.
When the clearance came, Mr Thamarassery travelled to a government mortuary in Dubai, where officials had her embalmed as he handled the paperwork for her and three others.
On Tuesday night, Mr Thamarassery returned home to the flat he shares with his wife and daughter in Ajman. There, he runs a mechanics shop but focuses largely on his philanthropic efforts.
Shelf upon shelf in his home bear honours and awards. A framed picture on the wall shows him meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I do this to earn blessings but also, when someone dies here, people don’t know how to manage the repatriation procedures,” Mr Thamarassery said. “That’s why I do it.”
All the while, his phone never stopped ringing, some of them undoubtedly new calls for his help.