Remembering Sridevi
The world tuned to Khaleej Times for factual and wholesome reportage when Indian actor Sridevi was found dead in the bathtub of a hotel in Dubai this day a year ago. We revisit the moments of shock and grief
Today marks a year since Indian actor Sridevi was found dead in the bathtub of a hotel in Dubai. The death not just moved a whole country to tears, but also shocked an entire generation of cinema goers that grew up adoring who was arguably the most endearing and enigmatic of female Indian stars.
It was also an episode that spawned an entire army of ‘bathroom journalists’ who — for the lust of TRPs — stooped to all lows, including bathtubs floors, just to play out how the venerable celebrated actor ‘may have died’ in her five-star hotel.
And in our neck of the woods here where the unfortunate event unfolded, it separated the wheat from the chaff; the responsible from the irresponsible; those who believe in fact-checking from those who ‘broke stories’ in the name of sensation and competition.
Khaleej Times stood its ground and we stuck to our ethics and reported facts — like we always have for the last 40 years. We reported facts we could verify and not fluff we heard, sniffed and saw tossed around in the air so easily. And in the end, we knew we had done our bit in paying the best tribute to the departed: By reporting the truth. We did this even as we ensured that no disservice was done to millions of her fans from around the world who wanted (and had every right) to know exactly what had happened and how and when it happened.
For three straight days, my colleagues Amira Agarib (who kept a meticulous eye on all official proceedings); Dhanusha Gokulan (who had the community’s pulse) and I, along with multimedia journalists Rahul Gajjar and Leslie Pableo, duly aided by intern Arbaaz, took it upon us to present the facts.
DAY 1: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
I still remember the moment I first got the shocking news of Sridevi’s death. It was just past midnight and I had sat down to catch up on the news. The breaking news left me aghast as a fan of someone whose magic transcended barriers and generations. I remember doing the live weather report on Facebook the next morning and connecting the morning’s rains to the “heavens weeping” at the death of the charismatic movie star. But the magnitude and the gravity of the “story” only dawned on me once I made my way up to the forensic department of the Dubai Police.
Once there, I was joined by Amira Agarib, who covers the Dubai Police for Khaleej Times.
She found out that Sridevi had died in Dubai and not in
Ras Al Khaimah as had been reported previously. She also confirmed from her sources that the body was brought for autopsy in the wee hours of the morning. With this, we went live and got almost 200,000 views instantly, which jolted me into realising just how big a news I was covering. Soon after, Indian media outlets picked up the news and our phones started ringing off the hooks. We also were the first to report that the body was found in a bathtub.
DAY 2: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26
A day after Sridevi’s death, KT was the most credible source of news and updates for almost every Indian news organisation, including CNN News 18, India Today, Times Now, Republic TV, Zee News, News X and vernacular and
regional stations like
News World India Channel Mumbai and News 18 Lokmat TV. We went live on Facebook at 8.26am on the day, confirming to the world that Sridevi’s body was still lying in the morgue, pending police and prosecution clearance. Later that afternoon at 2:56pm, we were the first to break the news that ‘accidental drowning’ was the cause of death. By the end of the day, KT was being quoted everywhere and our journalists were giving
precise, unbiased and objective sound bytes to news channels. We gave out only verified information, despite increasing pressure tactics and attempts from media houses in India to fuel speculation and conspiracy theories.
DAY 3: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
KT was the first and the only organisation to report on February 27 that Sridevi’s body was still in the morgue and that papers were with the public prosecution. We were the first to break the news that the body would be released the same day after the Consulate General of India tweeted from its official handle. We also informed the viewers when Sridevi’s body was finally released from the mortuary for embalming in Muhaisnah.