This article was published in Stardust magazine in the early 1990s. With no evidence, quotation, fact checking, verification, confirmation by anyone involved. Ipso facto, I'd take the newsbyte with a pinch of salt - just my opinion.
-- Moderator
SRIDEVI'S LAST TANGO WITH RAJIV GANDHI!
Sridevi's undying love for her Dad became apparent when she mourned his death. Then everything seemed the darkest side of black for the superstar. Her world had come crashing down when her father breathed his last. For Sri-baby lived for her father. She could have gone to the moon for him or bent back wards to make him happy. And once she actually did just that The story goes thus. In the twilight yeas of his life her father began to show a lot of interest in all things political. He set his heart on a career in politics and was looking for an opening when the Tamil Nadu elections were announced. So he decided to use that as a springboard to enter the fray. Now what he needed was a ticket to contest the elections!
But getting a ticket in politics is not all that easy. Not even for Sridevi's father. The sea of humanity that throngs the portals of the powers that be, literally begging for that gate pass to paradise, stands testimony to the power politics that are played in the capital during elections time. Everybody who's somebody's chamcha, chacha, bachcha or papa pulls strings, give ghaas and butters the politicians to get the ticket. Naturally in a competition so steep, the price is high and sometimes even exacting. After all, to get something you have to give something. That's the jungle law.
And that's where Sridevi enters the picture. For her father, the brightest his treasure was his daughter. And he was going to dazzle the powers that be with her charm and star value. So he chartered her down to Delhi. Her job was to gain access to Rajiv and convince him of her papa's credentials as a politician. Now those were the days of the coterie raj and to reach Rajiv one had to first meet the Satish Sharmas and Lalit Suris that surrounded the man. But breaking through the coterie's cordon was as tough as by passing the black cats.
Yet Sridevi managed to achieve the impossible. Using her charm she sweet-talked her way through the coterie. Befriending the Gandhi boys she gave the impression that he would do anything within her means to get her father what he wanted. And the boys took on the challenge. One of them who is very, very close to Rajiv was planning a blockbuster party for all his pals. The man, an industrialist-cum-politician, was on the look-out for a theme (theme parties being in vogue nowadays). He was probably ratting his brains when in walked Sri baby. Eureka thought the man, here is the screen apsara promising the world to me, why don't I have a repeat performance of the Mr. India thumkas. He offered the evening to Sridevi and she promptly agreed for she knew that heading the guest list was Rajiv Gandhi, the man she was trying to reach desperately. Hugging herself with joy, she promised the industrialist that she would be there, come rain or storm.
And sure as sure can be, on the appointed day Sridevi arrived in a discreet Mercedes, dressed to kill! The Delhi-wallas sighed, their pulse raced higher and higher at every song. The select gathering to date remembers that memorable performance. And Sridevi fulfilled her father's last wish. He got his ticket. That he didn't win is a different matter. But that day Sridevi proved that her love for her father was sublime and unconditional.
- Stardust, December 1991
Blogger Note:
The 80s and 90s were not a great time for film journalism and fact checking. Or good writing....
I... am not sure any of the above happened. In my opinion there seems to be a lot of creative fiction in the newsbyte... Tabloids peddle in sensationalism, not in truth. As all the cover tags show... everything is a bit of an eye-roll.
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