'Fainted...hit her head'—Director reveals how RGV's weight-loss pressure harmed Sridevi
What's the story
Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin, a lesser-known Bollywood film featuring Akshay Kumar and the late Sridevi, was released in 2004 after being stuck for over a decade. Now, director Pankaj Parashar has revealed that the project was derailed due to Sridevi's health issues caused by extreme dieting under filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma's pressure. The film was initially shot in the early 90s but failed to create any buzz upon its release.
Health scare
'Blame him totally for that...': Parashar on RGV
Parashar told Friday Talkies, "Ek film aur aayi thi sir Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin woh kaafi lambe samay tak hold hui... It was going well that my friend Ram Gopal Varma, I blame him totally for that because he kept telling Sridevi, 'lose weight, lose weight, lose weight.'" "She went on a crash course...and when she does that and she stopped salt...BP dropped and she fainted. Toh hamara poora schedule gaya."
Incident
Kumar also spoke about the film's abrupt end
Parashar further explained, "She fainted and hit the table, and she was unconscious for 20 minutes, and she lost a tooth. Toh maine chhod di picture kya karein?" He added, "Financier went away, producer died. All those things happen." Kumar also spoke about the film's abrupt end on Koffee with Karan, revealing that it was never properly completed due to these unfortunate events.
Dieting pattern
Boney Kapoor recalls how Sridevi often starved herself
Sridevi's husband and film producer Boney Kapoor earlier revealed in a chat with The New Indian that the late actor often starved herself to maintain her appearance. He said she had blacked out several times due to low blood pressure, despite repeated warnings from doctors. Kapoor also recalled actor Nagarjuna's account of Sridevi fainting in a bathroom while on another crash diet, resulting in a similar injury—she broke a tooth after falling.