Sushil Rao (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 28, 2018)

Despite her celebrity status and wealth, Sridevi encountered several problems and Boney Kapoor provided her a shoulder to cry on, said director Ram Gopal Varma. In a blog titled “Love letter to Sridevi’s fans”, Varma, who worked with her in two films, explained how difficult life had been for her. “Except for the short glimmer of English Vinglish, Sridevi was pretty much an extremely unhappy woman. The uncertainty of the future, the ugly turns and twists in her private life left deep scars on the superstar’s sensitive mind,” he said.

“The only time I ever saw her in peace was in front of the camera, that too only between ‘Action’ and ‘Cut,” RGV said in the blog posted on his Facebook page.

“For many, Sridevi’s life was perfect. Beautiful face, great talent, seemingly stable family with two beautiful daughters.... But was Sridevi a very happy person and did she lead a very happy life? .... I saw with my own eyes how her life was like a bird in the sky till her father’s death and then became like a bird in a cage due to her overprotective mother.”.

The director said that back in time when actors used to be paid in mostly black money due to fear of income-tax raids, her father used to trust friends and relatives. But they betrayed her the moment her father died, Varma said, adding that subsequently, her ‘ignorant’ mother made many wrong investments in litigated properties. “All those mistakes combined made her almost pennyless by the time Boney Kapoor came into her life. He himself was in huge debts and all he could afford was to give her a shoulder to cry on,” Varma said.