Bollywood and its obsession with 'celebrity': A cause of death?

No one expected when they woke up on the morning of Sunday the 25th of February, to hear the news that they did. Beloved Bollywood actress and icon Sridevi had died in Dubai in the late hours of the evening, the day before. It came as a shock to everyone, family, friends and all of her fans. At just 54, her death came too early and too abruptly. Her death managed to spark a conversation about ‘celebrity’ and its effect on the person, their life and their family.

If we check the pages of the history of Bollywood, it is not uncommon to find actors, actresses and artists who have left the mortal world long before due. The cause ranges from suicides to accidents to heartbreak and to professional feuds. The death of Sridevi Kapoor is being classified as an accident. Her death was caused by “accidental drowning following loss of consciousness” says the official statement released by the Dubai Police.

However, this is not the first version of the story of her death that has been told. Early reports suggested that her death was caused due to a cardiac arrest at a wedding she was attending in Dubai. This was altogether debunked since she was found dead in her hotel room in the Jumeira Emirates Tower Hotel. Another version of the story was that she died due to complications arising from the medications she had to take post her cosmetic surgeries. And therein lies the issue to talk about: expectations. The stupidest thing that has the capability to ruin lives. They put so much pressure on celebrities that sometimes death begins to feel better than facing life head-on. And, while this problem exists everywhere, its full extent can be seen in India. To Indians, their actors and actresses are not mere mortals like you and I, they are kin to Gods. They can do no wrong. And maintaining such an image is something no human can achieve.

And if a celebrity fails to live up to the unrealistic standards set by us, the people, we berate them, shame them, when in reality we might have succumbed to the same human error as them. The rumor that Sridevi’s death was caused by cosmetic surgeries has root in the fact that she was always insecure about herself and her body, going under the knife multiple times and following strict diet regimens. And although the rumor was just that, the fact still remains that the general public’s obsession with the “perfect” does not help these actors and actresses who struggle to maintain themselves, not only physically but also mentally and socially.

Would it be right to blame Sridevi’s death on the expectations of her fans? Absolutely not. It has been proven that her death has nothing to do with cosmetic surgeries or cardiac arrests. However, the fact still remains, there have been cases of Bollywood stars meeting sad and lonely ends in their own apartments in downtown Mumbai, away from the eyes of the prying public, keeping their inner demons in their own closets. Big names, turned to nothing for fear of losing their reputation.