Boney Kapoor, movie producer and husband of late Bollywood icon Sridevi, is suing the makers of controversial new film Sridevi Bungalow.
It's been almost a year since the veteran actress died in a hotel room in Dubai, when she lost consciousness and 'accidentally drowned' in a bathtub on February 24, 2018. The 54-year-old had been in Dubai for the wedding celebrations of her nephew.
Though Sridevi Bungalow has never been pointedly described as a biopic of the late actress, there are more than a few telling similarities.
The 90-second teaser, which was released late on Sunday, shows glimpses of a famous but lonely actress named Sridevi, and ends with a scene showing two feet sticking out of a bath tub.
Social media quickly lit up with fans decrying the "disgraceful manner" the movie appears to depict their late hero in.
Director Prasanth Mambully and Varrier have maintained a stoic silence about the connection with the real-life Sridevi.
Mambully, in his response to the criticism, has claimed that the film is a suspense thriller and hence unable to divulge much.
But after media reports of Kapoor's intention to take legal action, Mambully told Cinestaan: "We received a legal notice from Mr Boney Kapoor last week. And we will face it. My film is a suspense thriller. I told him [Boney Kapoor] that Sridevi is a common name. My film's character also happens to be an actress. We will face it [the legal case]."
The film is shot entirely in London, and is a Hindi film. The title in the poster is in the shape of candles.
Asked if the film was based on the late actress, Mambully said, "The character's name is Sridevi. Anybody can be called Sridevi. The story can have certain incidents which happened in Sridevi's life. I can't talk more about the film."
The movie is expected to be the launch vehicle to Bollywood for actress Priya Varrier, who plays the titular character.
At an event while releasing the movie trailer, Varrier told Indian television channel Zoom that she really liked the script. She said the storyline was completely down to the "director's imagination and creativity", before pausing and telling fans "to watch the film and decide if it is relatable to Sridevi."
While Varrier echoes Mambully's comments about the inspiration behind the movie, she also seems at ease dealing with the wave of criticism coming her way.
Having shot to fame in a fleeting scene in her debut Malayalam movie Oru Adaar Love, in which she played a school girl winking at a schoolboy, Varrier is no stranger to controversy. Her wink quickly went viral, spurning memes, jokes on the internet, and even a high-profile legal battle in which she was accused of hurting religious sentiments and blasphemy.
Referring to the latter, Varrier told Zoom: "In my first movie itself I experienced cases in the Supreme Court and all that, so I am mentally prepared for all this."
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Read more:
Sridevi dies in Dubai: timeline
'Without you life is empty': Fans and celebrities line the streets to say final goodbye to Bollywood star Sridevi
Sridevi: A who's-who of the famous Kapoor family
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Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
Other key dates
-
Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Levante v Real Mallorca (12am)
Leganes v Barcelona (4pm)
Real Betis v Valencia (7pm)
Granada v Atletico Madrid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Real Madrid v Real Sociedad (12am)
Espanyol v Getafe (3pm)
Osasuna v Athletic Bilbao (5pm)
Eibar v Alaves (7pm)
Villarreal v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Valladolid v Sevilla (12am)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
