So I've been thinking about Sridevi... obviously daily as this site is updated daily... and the simple notion of legacy.
Late night talk show host, thinker, award-winning writer and comic Conan O'Brian said in a podcast, "Calvin Coolidge was a pretty popular President. I’ve been to his grave in Vermont. It has the Presidential seal on it. Nobody was there. And by the way, I’m the only late-night host that has been to Calvin Coolidge’s grave. I think that’s what separates me from the other hosts.
I had a great conversation with Albert Brooks once. When I met him for the first time, I was kind of stammering. I said, 'You make movies, they live on forever. I just do these late-night shows, they get lost, they’re never seen again and who cares?'
And he looked at me and he said, [Albert Brooks voice] “What are you talking about? None of it matters.”
None of it matters?
“No, that’s the secret. In 1940, people said Clark Gable is the face of the 20th Century. Who [expletive] thinks about Clark Gable? It doesn’t matter. You’ll be forgotten. I’ll be forgotten. We’ll all be forgotten.” It’s so funny because you’d think that would depress me. I was walking on air after that."
I was randomly thinking about the above and putting it in context with Sridevi, ruminating about life and legacy. The day after she passed, every single Indian star and celebrity of every stripe posted a tribute. From thousands of heart-felt, sincerely typed, teary-eyed paeans to the legend... the next year, it went down to about 10 or fewer remembrances... Year after, just her family. On occasion Manish Malhotra would post something about Sridevi...
Randomly this year, I've noticed other stars remembering Sridevi out of the blue. Made me smile a little. In an industry notorious for "Chadhte Suraj ko salaam," its funny how they do... or don't... shed a tear or spare a thought for the ones who entertained our lives for years, decades. How because of them and their power and prestige, hundreds of people were employed, made a salary, had the embers of their kitchen spark. A film employs hundreds if not thousands of people - often on the back of a single star. We've all read that Sridevi spear-headed films - now think of the number of families that had a roof over their head, ate food, sent their children to school because she appeared in a successful film... Film production is an industry after all... but once the factory has used you, it disposes you. All stars being 'kaagaz ke phool'... indeed.
BTW not just Sridevi, this is true of several stars and luminaries. Was watching in horror as one of those hideous talking-heads news channels went to the field and in vox pop style, asked people on the streets, how they'd remember Lata Mangeshkar after she passed. The new gen had NO IDEA who she was and/or couldn't think of a single song sung by 'the nightingale of India." There was a time when a song of Lataji was being played at any given time around the country. And now, a new generation can't spell her name.
Life is funny like that.
I understand we all have lives, jobs, bills, taxes, tragedies of our own, people barely spare a thought to fallen soldiers on the border, let alone an entertainer that passed 8 years ago now...
She will live on in re-runs, and YouTube... but die a thousand deaths by AI as it corrupts her original photographs, image and likeness... as the "fan" created hallucinogenic avatar that barely resembles Sridevi - and that fake image goes viral online on social media... We've noticed a sudden rise of views from 4000, average daily views to 100,000+ What machine is subsuming content, pics and information from this page and creating some false idol somewhere online?
You may think you're honouring Sridevi with the fake pics, clips and tributes, but really its a corrosion of her actual legacy by digital attrition. As Ai refers to and cannibalises ai versions of the actress the latest online avtar of Sridevi looks... absolutely nothing like her.
Well, we won't be encouraging or promoting her fakes. The real Sridevi was more than enough.
Remembering Sridevi on her birth anniversary today. And forever.
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