Barkha Dutt: The way Indian media has covered Sridevi 's death has been shameful
Sridevi Kapoor
A picture of  Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor  is put up outside  her  residence in Mumbai on Monday  following  her  death. (Punit Pranjpe/AFP/Getty Images)
The sudden and mysterious death of Sridevi Kapoor  a Bollywood superstar beloved to millions of Indians and a rare actor who bridged the culture gap between the North and the South  is absolutely a valid news story.
For my entire generation   Sridevi  was a cult figure.  She  began acting at the age of 4  and  her  films spanned multiple languages and roles.  Her  impeccable sense of comic timing and  her  willingness to experiment made  her  one of the pioneering women of Indian cinema. When  she  returned to the movies after taking a 15-year break   she  gamely took on the challenge that female actors face in a shamefully unequal industry â one where 50-year-old men romance young heroines in their 20s  but women upward of 30 get swiftly ousted from mainline roles.
But the way  her  death has been reported in our media  especially on television  is the very opposite of journalism.
A picture of  [TGT] is put up outside   [TGT]   residence in Mumbai on Monday  following   [TGT]   death. (Punit Pranjpe/AFP/Getty Images)
The sudden and mysterious death of Sridevi Kapoor  a Bollywood superstar beloved to millions of Indians and a rare actor who bridged the culture gap between the North and the South  is absolutely a valid news story.
For my entire generation   Sridevi  was a cult figure.   [TGT]   began acting at the age of 4  and   [TGT]   films spanned multiple languages and roles.   [TGT]   impeccable sense of comic timing and   [TGT]   willingness to experiment made   [TGT]   one of the pioneering women of Indian cinema. When   [TGT]   returned to the movies after taking a 15-year break    [TGT]   gamely took on the challenge that female actors face in a shamefully unequal industry â one where 50-year-old men romance young heroines in their 20s  but women upward of 30 get swiftly ousted from mainline roles.
But the way  her  death has been reported in our media  especially on television  is the very opposite of journalism.