Shobhaa Kapoor, Jeetendra and Sridevi!

Shobhaa Kapoor, Jeetendra and Sridevi! 

Sridevi, Shobha Kapoor and Jeetendra: Putting rumours to rest

Sridevi, Shobha Kapoor and Jeetendra: Putting rumours to rest.

The tabloids were so out of whack in the early 1980s, with the libelous talk of Sridevi having an affair with Jeetendra, his wife and Sridevi, the three decided to do a feature and shoot together for Cine Blitz. 

Sridevi, a favourite of Jeetendra and his kids, found it annoying that the Hindi tabloids were casting aspersions on her character. So all three posed together and did an epic interview with Cine Blitz. 

It did shut up a lot of things but the tabloids, being the tabloids, they cooked up other rumours instead. 

Sridevi's animosity with journalists and tabloid journalism began early--any 'journalist' or writer claiming they were close to Sridevi is pure fallacy and wishful thinking. 

Shobha Kapoor, Jeetendra and Sridevi

Sick of all the gossip and rumours that were rampant in the early 1980s, Jeetendra did a cover shoot with Sridevi and his wife Shobha Kapoor to put rumours to rest. It worked! Sridevi remained closed to the entire family throughout her life.

Pati, Patni aur Sridevi: Shobha Kapoor, Sridevi and Jeetendra: Stamping out rumours in one sweep

Typical of the Bollywood tabloids, there was much speculation on Sridevi and Jeetendra's off-screen relationship in the early 1980s. The awesome twosome were doing innumerable films together so the idiotic tabloid press started spreading baseless rumours. But it was all smoke, no fire. 

To douse the gossip, innuendo and nuge-nudge-wink-wink that was floating about, Jeetendra did a photo-shoot in his house, for Cine Blitz magazine with his off-screen partner and on-screen; wife Shobhaa Kapoor and actress Sridevi.

The troubles began harmlessly enough. Jeetendra was so effusive in his compliments of Sridevi that people started suspecting trouble-in-paradise, the martial home. None of it was true. Shobhaa Kapoor then and even now, says Sridevi is a wonderful person and laid rumours to rest. Sridevi said her only friends in the Hindi film industry were Jeetendra and wife Shobhaa and she was infuriated by the unnecessary and torrid speculation. It started the suspcion Sridevi had for all Mumbai, essentially film tabloid, press that persisted till the end. 

Also need to note, Jeetendra's eldest daughter, now television and film producer, Ekta Kapoor, was/is a massive Sridevi fan. She famously told a magazine editor that once, someone in her school bitched up to her and said, 'So your father's having an affair with Sridevi!' Ekta Kapoor, a legendary spitfire, shot back, 'Yeah, my father is. Your father can only dream about it.'

Lols. 

Bless her.