Another book about Sridevi is coming out: Oh no!

Yes, we heard about yet another Sridevi book coming out. Woefully, its being written by a, to be frank, not a very good writer. An early article by Dhiraj Kumar started with "Madras born Sridevi" - which she wasn't - which just about sets the tone of inaccuracy which I expect his book will be riddled with. He's an ill-informed and not that bright nor a capable writer. 

At least Sathyarth Nayak, whose flawed but fab book Sridevi, The Eternal Screen Goddess, is a legit journalist with experience and ability to research extensively, who did exhaustive leg-work and homework to track down as much information was humanly possible within the parameters of his publishing deadline. 

I’m all for more books and information about Sridevi for the posterity of an icon and her historical significance in Indian cinema – but Sridevi’s legacy needs writers with skill, empathy, critical thought, analytical abilities and verbal dexterity. Not fan fiction in the guise of a biography by a self-proclaimed idiot-savant, who is more idiot than savant.

PS: This post is also worrying; the image of Sridevi in pink is a digitally altered image of the actress. The family image of Sridevi - the copyright belongs to the late great Gautam Rajadhyaksha's estate and Cine Blitz that originally commissioned the shoot with Sridevi and her entire family in Chennai. And for the record, Sridevi did not consider any male writer/reporter family or friend. The Indina media during Sridevi's reign wrote some ghastly, unfounded things about her and she was gunshy of the press and kept them a pole apart - as she famously said on TV, "Picture se dar nahin lagta, publicity se lagta hai."