'Sridevi fainted, hit her head and lost tooth’ recalls 'Chaalbaaz' director

sridevi

The late actress Sridevi was one of the most celebrated stars of Indian cinema, but maintaining her appearance came with its own set of challenges. In a throwback interview, filmmaker Pankaj Parashar, who directed the late actress in 'Chaalbaaz', recalled a disturbing incident involving her health while they were shooting for 'Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin', which also starred Akshay Kumar.Parashar had spoken about the incident in an earlier conversation with Friday Talkies, recalling how Sridevi reportedly went on an extreme diet after being encouraged to lose weight. According to the filmmaker, the crash diet eventually took a toll on her health, with the actress collapsing on the sets and suffering an injury.Recounting the incident, Parashar claimed that Sridevi was under pressure to lose weight while working on Ram Gopal Varma’s 1991 Telugu film 'Kshana Kshanam'. He alleged that Varma had repeatedly asked her to slim down.According to Parashar, Sridevi subsequently adopted a highly restrictive diet and stopped consuming salt altogether. He claimed that her blood pressure dropped significantly as a result.The filmmaker recalled that Sridevi suddenly fainted while shooting for 'Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin'. He said she hit her head against a table and remained unconscious for around 20 minutes. Parashar further claimed that she suffered a facial injury and lost a tooth during the fall.

The incident reportedly lead Sridevi to take a break from the shoot, which affected the film’s schedule. However, the film was eventually left incompleteParashar recalled that the financier eventually walked out, while the producer later passed away. With the project facing one hurdle after another, the filmmaker eventually had to abandon it.The film finally released in 2004, featuring the footage that had already been shot.Akshay Kumar had also recalled the unfinished project during an earlier appearance on Koffee with Karan. The actor revealed that the film’s climax had never been completed. The final version instead included a written message informing audiences that the characters eventually took revenge.

Boney Kapoor had spoken about late Sridevi’s crash diets

Parashar’s old account is also similar to what Sridevi’s husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor, had shared about the actress’ struggles with extreme dieting.In an earlier interview with The New Indian, Kapoor recalled that Sridevi would sometimes resort to starvation diets to maintain her appearance. He said she had suffered blackouts because of low blood pressure and that doctors had warned her about the practice.Kapoor also recalled an incident involving actor Nagarjuna, who reportedly told him that Sridevi had once fainted in a bathroom while following another crash diet.

According to Kapoor’s account, she fell and broke a tooth.

A glimpse into the pressures behind late Sridevi’s glamorous image

Sridevi’s career remains synonymous with some of the most iconic performances in Indian cinema. However, such incidents from people who worked closely with her offer a glimpse into the pressures she faced to maintain a certain physical appearance.