Single-use plastics can be hard to avoid when gardening.(ABC News: Matilda Marozzi)
In any garden shedor store you can find dozens of plastic products, including old pots, tools, containers, or soft plastics full of fertiliser, dirt or compost.
If you’d like to cut down, permaculture educator Anna Matilda, also known as The Urban Nanna, shares five achievable ways to start.
For Ms Matilda that doesn’t mean “chucking out all your plastics and buying eco-friendly”.
“I need to take care of the things that I already have that are plastic,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
“And then make sure I’m not bringing in any new plastics, or buying things in plastic.”
To coincide with Plastic Free July, here are her tips:
1. Grow from seed (or source from people who do)
One of the hardest things to avoid are single-use plastic pots.
While there are sustainable alternatives available, including pots made from recycled cardboard or coconut fibre, Ms Matilda can’t think of any major Australian retailers or plant producers using these on mass.
One way to avoid new plastic pots is to grow things from seed.
“For a lot of people, that’s really daunting,” she says.
“Maybe you [could] aim at that in a few years’ time, and in the meantime see if there are some local people who are already growing from seed.”
Ms Matilda says local permaculture communities are a great place to find plants that have been grown locally in recycled pots.
The people involved may also be able to help you to start growing from seed yourself.
A number of homegrown seedlings for sale in recycled plastic pots.(Supplied: Anna Matilda)
Plus, Ms Matilda says “people in permaculture communities are just always giving stuff away and swapping things” including seeds.
So, as well as reducing your plastic footprint, you may be able to save some money.
Anna, the Urban Nanna, talks to Lisa Leong about plastic free gardening(Supplied)
2. Reuse and recycle pots
Many gardeners will already have a pile of plastic pots somewhere in their yard.
Ms Matilda says finding ways to reuse or recycle them is a great way to reduce waste.
“If you do need bigger plastic pots, you know, if you want to upsize something … reuse those pots year after year,” she says.
“That means having a little space where you can store things effectively out of the sun, so they don’t degrade and break down with UV.”
Re-Using Plastic Pots
If you don’t have a use for pots you already have, Ms Matilda recommends trying to give them away in a local community group rather than throwing them out.
Some nurseries or hardware stores also accept clean plastic pots for recycling.
You can also improvise and create your own pots by repurposing a tin can, cardboard toilet rolls or making pots out of recycled paper.
Growing seed in toilet-roll tubes.(Supplied: Anna Matilda)
“You basically can just wind a bit of paper around a tin can and smoosh the end of it, so it closes off and it becomes a tiny little pot,” she says.
“The wonderful thing about them is that you can actually pick up each one and transplant it wholesale, as it is, without disturbing the roots.”
Egg cartons can also act as a good alternative to seed trays for shallow rooted, fast growing plants including peas and lettuce.
3. Buy or borrow quality tools
If you need a new piece of equipment Ms Matilda recommends trying to avoid cheap plastic tools, particularly ones that have lots of moving parts.
“They will break and then you’re left with a large tool that you can’t reuse and usually can’t recycle because it’s made up of lots of different bits and pieces,” she says.
Instead, Ms Matilda suggests saving up and buying good quality items.
“Made of metal if you can, and then take good care of it,” she says.
“Look at quality over quantity.”
If you can’t afford a $70 pair of secateurs right now, why not try and borrow?
“A lot of areas now have things called a tool library … where you can actually go and use really good quality tools that have been bought by this initiative, and they’re available to the community for free,” she says.
For those without a tool library in their area, Ms Matilda says it is always worth asking another gardener if you can borrow the piece of equipment you need.
4. Avoiding soft plastics
The soft plastics involved in buying compost, manure and potting mix is a big issue gardeners face when trying to go plastic free.
Ms Matilda says a great way to avoid some of this plastic is to get a worm farm or make your own compost.
It’s also a great way to reduce food waste.
“Making compost is basically acting like a forest floor and layering dry brown stuff and soft green stuff,” she says.
“It’s nowhere near as hard as you think.”
If you aren’t up for composting, Ms Matilda says your local gardening group may have a communal compost heap where you can go and fill up your own bag.
Composing Compost
You could also try a no-dig garden bed, or buying in bulk from a local wholesale garden supplier.
“If you can, get a cubic metre delivered and it comes without packaging,” she says.
“If you don’t need that much you can try and get a group of gardeners together, share the supplies and split the bill.”
5. Speak up
While trying to avoid buying plastic is one solution, Ms Matilda says getting companies to stop selling new plastic could be even better.
Ms Matilda says we all have some power to vote for change with our dollar and our voice.
“Get upset about the amount of plastic that’s out there and become that person who writes an angry letter to a company and says ‘This isn’t good enough’,” she says.
“They’ll pass that up the line and eventually we should be seeing a bit more positive change.”
Following a notable appearance in the romantic drama Julie (1975), Sridevi’s first starring role in Hindi cinema came with the drama film Solva Sawan (1979), and she received wider recognition for the action film Himmatwala (1983). She established herself in the industry with a string of successful films, including Mawaali (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Tohfa (1984), Naya Kadam (1984), Maqsad (1984), Masterji (1985), Karma (1986), Nazrana (1987), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Mr. India (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Chandni (1989). She received widespread praise for her performances in films, including Sadma (1983), Nagina (1986), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Gumrah (1993), Laadla (1994), and Judaai (1997). Following the role of the titular protagonist in the television sitcom Malini Iyer (2004–2005), Sridevi returned to film acting with the highly successful comedy-drama English Vinglish (2012) and then starred in the Tamil language fantasy film Puli (2015), which marked her final film in South Indian Cinema. Sridevi then starred in her 300th and final film role in the psychological thriller Mom (2017). She earned widespread critical acclaim for her performances in both films, and for the latter was posthumously awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress.
On 24 February 2018, she was found dead of an accidental drowning in her guest room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[17] News of her death featured prominently in Indian and international media. She was married to film producer Boney Kapoor, with whom she had two children, including actress Janhvi Kapoor.
“I lost out on going to school and college life, but I got into the film industry and worked without a gap – from child actor, I went straight to heroine. There was no time to think and I was grateful for it.
Sridevi made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in Solva Sawan in 1979.[47] 4 years later, she was signed to star opposite Jeetendra in Himmatwala (remake of Telugu film Ooruki Monagadu (1981)). The film released in 1983, and was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year.[48] It established Sridevi in Bollywood.[citation needed] Her dance number “Nainon Mein Sapna” became a rage with Rediff stating that “the water pots may have dominated most frames in ‘Nainon Mein Sapna’, but it was Sridevi’s bejewelled outfits and headgears that stole the show”.[49] She followed with Tohfa, which was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1984.[50] The film established Sridevi as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood,[51] with Filmfare magazine declaring her “Unquestionably #1” on their cover.[52]
However, it was Sadma (1983) which brought Sridevi widespread critical acclaim.[citation needed] A remake of her Tamil film Moondram Pirai, Sadma is included in iDiva‘s list of ’10 Must Watch Movies That Weren’t Blockbusters’.[55] Sridevi’s performance as a child-woman suffering from amnesia was called by Indian Express “a milestone in her illustrious career”.[56] Sridevi also featured in the Mid-Day‘s list of ‘Challenging Roles played by Bollywood Actors’ describing her act in the film as “her best performance ever”.[57] In 2012, Adil Hussain, Sridevi’s co-star in English Vinglish revealed that he became a fan of the actress after watching her in Sadma.[58] The Sridevi-Kamal Hassan pair also appeared on the CNN-IBN 2012 list of ‘Greatest Romantic Couples on Celluloid’.[59] The film earned Sridevi her first Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.
Sridevi had successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna in films such as Naya Kadam (1984), Maqsad (1984), Masterji (1985) and Nazrana (1987). In 1986, came the snake fantasy Nagina which saw Sridevi play a shape-shifting woman. The film turned out to be the second highest-grossing film of the year,[60] with Box Office India stating that Sridevi remained “the undisputed #1”.[51] It was also named one of the best snake fantasy films by Yahoo.[61]Times of India ranked Nagina as one of the ‘Top 10 Snake Films of Hindi Cinema’.[62] Sridevi’s climax dance number “Main Teri Dushman” also remains one of the best snake dances in Bollywood,[63] with Desi Hits calling it “one of Sridevi’s most iconic dance numbers… that still gives fans goose bumps”[64] and iDiva describing it as “the stuff of movie legends”.[65] Besides Nagina, 1986 also saw Sridevi giving box-office hits in Subhash Ghai‘s multi-starrer Karma and Feroz Khan‘s Janbaaz. According to CNN-IBN‘s Bollywood Blockbusters, “Sridevi’s popularity grew so much that despite having a guest appearance in Janbaaz, she completely overshadowed the film’s lead heroine Dimple Kapadia.”[66]
Sridevi followed the success of Nagina by playing a goofy crime journalist in the science fiction film Mr. India (1987) opposite Anil Kapoor, which was described by Rediff as “one of the most iconic films of its time”.[67] Directed by Shekhar Kapur, it became one of the highest grossing hits of the year and also found a place in Hindustan Times‘ list of ‘Top 10 Patriotic Films of Hindi Cinema’.[68][69] While the trade famously joked that the film should have been named Ms. India,[citation needed]Rediff also stated that “Sridevi was a complete show-stealer in the film”.[67] Sridevi’s imitation of Charlie Chaplin in the film was described by The Times of India as “the most hilarious act she has ever done”.[70]Rediff also featured Sridevi in its list of ‘Super 6 Comic Heroines’ stating that “her mobile face expressions could give Jim Carrey sleepless nights” and that “her biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera”.[71]
The dance number ”Hawaa Hawaai”, cited by TheTimes of India as “one of the unforgettable numbers of Sridevi”,[72] also became a popular nickname for the actress.[73] Besides comedy, Sridevi featured in the video for the song ”Kaate Nahin Kat Te”; Filmfare described Sridevi as “truly a goddess in a blue sari”.[74][75]Rediff also featured the song in its list of ‘Top 25 Sari Moments’ praising Sridevi’s “ability to look erotic even when she’s covered from head-to-toe”.[76] For Mr. India, Sridevi commanded ₹1.1 million, making her the highest paid Indian actress.[77]Box Office India states that with the success of Mr. India, Sridevi “continued her domination” over her contemporaries Jaya Prada and Meenakshi Sheshadri.[51]
1989 saw the release of the Yash Chopra‘s romantic musical saga Chandni, with Sridevi playing the title role. The film emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 1989.[citation needed] Cited by The Times of India as “one of the most watched films of Indian cinema”,[78] the film also reaffirmed Sridevi’s position as the top female star of the 1980s.[79][80] She was also paid ₹1.5 million for the lead role.[81] While she topped the Hindustan Times‘ list of Yash Chopra’s ‘Top 5 Heroines’,[82]CNN-IBN also ranked her first on a similar list, saying “Yash Chopra immortalized Sridevi as the perfect Chandni”.[83]India Today and NDTV also included her in such lists, stating that the film established Sridevi “as the nation’s sweetheart”.[84][85][86]The Tribune wrote: “Leena Daru scored a winner again when she created the ‘Chandni Look’ for Sridevi. Every street corner sold the salwar-kameez and dupatta that gave the heroine a refreshingly understated look, rarely seen on the Indian screen”,[87] Sridevi’s dance number “Mere Haathon Mein Nau Nau Choodiyaan” proved also popular with audiences,[88] and she also lent her voice to the film’s popular title-track.[89]
The same year, Sridevi also starred in the slapstick comedyChaalBaaz, which had her play a double role of twin sisters separated at birth. Filmfare ranked her performance #4 in its list of ’80 Iconic Performances of Hindi Cinema’, stating that “Sridevi’s penchant for giggles and her ability to look distinctly tearful when required polishes these performances to perfection. Hell, she made Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth look like sidekicks in the film”.[90]TheTimes of India article ‘Bollywood’s Hit Double Roles’ wrote, “Sridevi’s performance had rocked the box office”.[91]Rediff featured the film in its countdown of “25 Best Double Roles in Bollywood” saying “What you don’t realise until you have seen Chaalbaaz is just how incredible Sridevi is at depicting both ends of the spectrum”,[92] and that the film “cemented her position as an actress with a killer comic timing”.[67] Speaking to The Indian Express about Sridevi’s act in ChaalBaaz, the director Pankaj Parashar said “She proved her range with the movie and after that she got lots of offers which saw her in a double role”.[93] Her slapstick rain dance “Na Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai” became successful with The Times of India describing it as “a Sridevi classic where she simply looked wow with her chirpy expressions and rain drops kissing her cheeks.”[94] Sridevi garnered Best Actress nominations at Filmfare for both Chandni and ChaalBaaz in 1989, winning for the latter.
Chopra then cast Sridevi in his 1991 intergenerational musical romantic drama Lamhe. The Times of India included it in its list of ‘Top 10 Films of Yash Chopra’ describing it as a tale of “love transcending the boundaries of time and space”[95] while Rediff called it “Quite easily one of his most definitive films, Chopra surpassed his own findings of romance with the insightful, lovely Lamhe.“[96] Sridevi played both the roles of mother and daughter in what iDiva described as “another double role but it was unlike any played before.”[65] Hailed by Rediff as “one of the most remarkable films of her career… often considered a film way ahead of its time”,[67][97] Sridevi’s folk dance number ‘Morni Baga Ma’ also became a rage and was placed among the ‘Top 5 Songs’ of Yash Chopra by Hindustan Times.[82]Lamhe was an underwhelming success at the box-office, but received widespread critical acclaim and has become a cult classic over the years.[55][98] Talking about the film, critic Rachel Dwyer wrote in her biography of the film-maker “Chopra’s own favourite film, Lamhe (Moments (1991)), divided the audience on a class basis: it was hugely popular with metropolitan elites and the overseas market, which allowed it to break even, but it had a poor box-office response (largely lower-class, especially the repeat audience) because of its supposed incest theme”.[99]The Hindu reported that “With shades of incest, Lamhe caused more than a flutter and remained the talk of the town”,[100] while Sridevi herself admitted in an interview with Rajeev Masand that she found the subject “too bold”.[101] Though the film flopped at the box-office, with Rediff describing its failure as “one of those bizarre, unexplained moments of cinema”,[96]Lamhe picked up 5 Filmfare trophies including Best Film and a second Best Actress trophy for Sridevi. Her popular Rajasthani costumes in the film also won designer Neeta Lulla her first National Film Award for Best Costume Design.[102]
In 1992, Sridevi starred in the epic drama Khuda Gawah opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The actress played a double role again as an Afghan warrior Benazir and her daughter Mehndi. Shot mostly in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan,[103] it did good business with BBC reporting that “it ran to packed houses for 10 weeks in Kabul“. Khuda Gawah still remains popular in Afghanistan and Rediff reported that the film is “in great demand after the reopening of cinema halls in the country” in 2001.[104] For Khuda Gawah, Sridevi earned ₹2.5 million for the role.[105] At Filmfare, the film picked up the Best Director trophy, while Sridevi earned a nomination for Best Actress. During the production of Jurassic Park in 1992–93, acclaimed Hollywood director and producer Steven Spielberg approached Sridevi for a small role in the film. However, Sridevi, after evaluating the stature of the role, refused the offer. She was the highest-paid actress in India from 1985 to 1993.[failed verification][106]
Sridevi’s big-budget 1993 release Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja was one of India’s most expensive films ever made.[107] Though the film failed at the box office, Sridevi was appreciated with Times of India calling her disguise in a comedy scene “the best ever South Indian role played by any actress”.[108] She next starred in the 1993 thriller Gumrah, opposite Sanjay Dutt. Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, the actress played a singer falsely accused of drugs smuggling in Hong Kong. Bollyspice stated in its ‘Sridevi Retrospective’ that “Despite great performances from the rest of the cast, Gumrah was really Sridevi’s film. She managed to exemplify female emotion and robustness to a great degree that you remember the film largely for her significant contribution towards it,”[109] Her performance earned her another nomination for Best Actress at Filmfare.
In 1994, Sridevi teamed up with Anil Kapoor again in Laadla playing business tycoon Sheetal Jaitley. The character, described by Times of India as “rude, dominant and very competitive”[108] brought her yet another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. She acted in her comeback film in Malayalam in 1996 – Bharathan‘s Devaraagam, a love story in which she starred opposite Aravind Swamy.
The last major film Sridevi starred in before she took a break from the industry was the romantic drama Judaai, released in 1997. Along with Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar, the actress played a greedy housewife going to extreme lengths for money. Talking about her swan-song, critic Subhash K. Jha wrote that Sridevi “left us with the most stunning hurrah in Judaai. A terrible film that I’ve watched countless times to see her play the money-minded harridan who ‘sells’ her husband to Urmila Matondkar. Who but Sridevi could carry of such an outrageous role with such enthusiastic élan?!”[110] while Bollyspice stated that “She used her polished acting skills to illustrate her character’s greed and individualism at such a grotesque level.”[67]Judaai earned Sridevi her eighth Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. In 1996, Sridevi married Boney Kapoor of the famed Bollywood royalty, the Kapoor family. During the years 1996–97, her mother was suffering from brain cancer-induced complications. After her mother’s death in 1997, Sridevi went on a hiatus from the film industry.[citation needed]
2004–2018: comeback, television debut and final roles[edit]
After a 6-year hiatus, Sridevi briefly returned to the small screen in the Sahara sitcom Malini Iyer (2004–2005). She also appeared on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai (2004) and as a judge in the TV show Kaboom (2005).[111] She performed a medley of some of her musical numbers at the 52nd Filmfare Awards in 2007. She was also a member of the board of directors at the Asian Academy of Film & Television.[112]
Sridevi had also developed a passion for painting. In March 2010, her paintings were sold by an international art auction house with the money raised being donated.[113]
Sridevi at the premiere of English Vinglish in 2012
After an 15-year absence from film, Sridevi starred in English Vinglish (2012), a comedy-drama helmed by debutante director Gauri Shinde.[114] In the film, she played Shashi Godbole, a housewife who enrolls in an English-speaking course after her husband and daughter’s mocking of her English skills. The film and Sridevi’s performance received widespread critical acclaim. The Times of India called it “easily one of the best films of 2012!” and Sridevi’s performance “a masterclass for actors.”[115] Raja Sen of Rediff found the film “a winner all the way […] Sridevi excels in fleshing out her character”,[116] and critic Subhash K. Jha said Sridevi “makes the contemporary actresses, even the coolest ones, look like jokes… If you watch only 2 films every year make sure you see English Vinglish twice!”[117]Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN wrote Sridevi delivers “a performance that is nothing short of perfect […] It’s warm and fuzzy, and leaves you with a big smile on your face.”[118] “Sridevi doesn’t miss a beat. Her performance is a triumph!”, added the critic Anupama Chopra.[119]Komal Nahta said she “makes the best comeback in Bollywood history and delivers a landmark performance.”[120]
With the high critical acclaim and massive commercial success of English Vinglish, Sridevi became the only actress in Bollywood to make a successful comeback as a leading lady after marriage and a long hiatus.[121][122] Gauri Shinde featured her in the Financial Times 2012 list of ’25 Indians To Watch’.[123] She topped Rediff.com‘s annual listing of the “Bollywood’s Best Actresses” in 2012; the website wrote English Vinglish “is a simple film where things are credible, never melodramatic” and Sridevi “always judges the tone right. It’s the sort of performance younger actresses should learn from.”[124] Sridevi was declared the most-admired Bollywood actress of 2012 in a mobile survey conducted by Vuclip, the world’s largest mobile research company.[125] She was nominated for several awards, including her ninth nomination for Best Actress at Filmfare.[126] Following an appearance during the song “Apna Bombay Talkies” in the film Bombay Talkies (2013),[127] Sridevi starred in the Tamil fantasy action adventure film Puli (2015),[128] which became her last Tamil film before her death in 2018.[129]
Sridevi at the HT Style Awards in January 2018
Sridevi was next seen in her home production titled Mom (2017), which marked her 300th film.[130] In the psychological thriller film, she played a mother who sets out to avenge the rape of her daughter. Sridevi said that as a mother and an artiste, she empathized with her character’s rage, and found it hard to be in a normal state during the filming.[131]Mom was released on 7 July 2017 to highly positive reviews, with critics widely appreciating Sridevi’s performance.[132]The Times of India and The Indian Express added Sridevi “demonstrates why she is the high-priestess of Indian cinema” and that she “needs only a twitch or a glance to prove that she is a powerhouse and there are several scenes she lifts by just being there.”[133][134] For her performance, Sridevi received the National Film Award for Best Actress and earned nominations for Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) at Filmfare and the Screen Award for Best Actress.[135] At the time of her death, Sridevi was not shooting for any upcoming films and her last on-screen appearance was in Aanand L. Rai‘s film Zero (2018) in a cameo.[136] Sridevi had signed the 2019 period romantic drama Kalank, produced by Karan Johar; however, due to her demise she was replaced by Madhuri Dixit.[137] Another film she had signed, was to play a cameo role in the Malayalam film Sree Sree Devaraagam, a sequel to Sridevi’s own 1996 film Devaraagam, was subsequently shelved after her death in 2018.[138]
Sridevi was always accompanied by her mother Rajeswari or by her sister Srilatha to the film sets during shooting of her films between 1972 and 1994.[139]Sanjay Ramasamy is married to her sister Srilatha since 1989.[140]
Sridevi campaigned for her father when he contested the Sivakasi constituency in 1989 assembly elections, but eventually lost in the elections.[18] Her father died in 1990 of heart attack, while she was shooting for Lamhe.[18][141] Her mother died in 1996,[18] as a result of the complications suffered from an operation that she underwent in 1995 on a brain tumor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The neurosurgeon operated on the wrong side of her brain destroying her vital tissues of vision and recent memory. This was widely reported in US media at that time which then led to a successful court battle and prompted then President Bill Clinton’s proposal of a program for hospitals to disclose their medical malpractice[citation needed] and errors.[142][143][144]
Sridevi with her husband Boney Kapoor at Esha Deol‘s wedding reception in 2011
Sridevi was extremely discreet about her privacy and rarely gave interviews or discussed her private life in them. [7] In 1996, she married producer Boney Kapoor. The couple had two daughters, Janhvi (born. 1997), who is herself an actress, and Khushi (born. 2000).[145][146]
Despite being known for her portrayals of a strong, vivacious and exuberant woman on-screen, Sridevi was an extremely introverted and reserved person off-screen. CNN-IBN correspondent Rajeev Masand says; “I have never known anyone who was so painfully shy, so quiet off-screen, who just transformed into a force of nature when the cameras came on. She was an interviewer’s nightmare, but the movie-buff’s dream”.[147] Commenting on her reserved nature, Firstpost says; “Behind the glamorous heroine with twinkling, magical eyes and a stunning face, was an inherently shy woman, often mistaken as arrogant. The truth is she was shy. Having begun to act when she was just 4, she did not complete formal education or get much of a chance to interact with kids of her own age. Consequently, she developed a strong dislike for crowds and noise.”[148]
On 20 February 2018, Sridevi and her youngest daughter Khushi had flown to Al Jazirah Al Hamra in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah. She decided to spend a couple of days in Dubai to shop for her eldest daughter Janhvi’s 21st birthday, after the wedding.[149][150] Her husband Boney Kapoor was not present with them on the wedding day as he had to attend a meeting in Lucknow on 22 February. However he had already planned a surprise visit to his wife, with whom he spoke on the morning of 24 February, when she told him that “Papa (that’s how Sridevi addressed Boney), I’m missing you.”[151] According to Boney, he took a 15:30 flight to Dubai and reached Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel around 18:20 (Dubai time) in Room 2201 where Sridevi was staying. She and Boney briefly met and chatted for 30 minutes or so. Afterwards, they decided to have dinner.[152] Sridevi went to bathe and to get dressed for dinner, while Boney waited in the living room. After 15–20 minutes, around 19:00, he called out to her as they were getting late but was unable to get a response.[153]
Sridevi was pronounced dead on 24 February 2018 at 19:00 GMT in her hotel room where her husband had found her.[4][17][154] At first, it was announced by her brother in-law Sanjay Kapoor to the Indian media that the cause of death was a cardiac arrest, but the investigation to her death began early Sunday morning around 2:30, and the case was transferred to Dubai Public Prosecution by Dubai Police, where General Department of Forensic Evidence, Dubai revealed that the cause of death was “accidental drowning“.[155][156][157][158][159] The toxicology report later also revealed that traces of alcohol were found in her body, and water was found in her lungs.[160][161][162]
After rumours that news of her death was an Internet hoax, her brother-in-law, Sanjay Kapoor, confirmed that she really had died.[163][164][165] Her fans, co-stars and other Bollywood stars posted condolences on Twitter to mourn the death.[166][167][168][169] After a few days of police investigation, on 27 February, Sridevi’s case was closed, and on the night of that day, her body was flown back to Mumbai, India. Ashraf Thamarassery, helped bring back her body to India[170][171] by her husband and her stepson, Arjun Kapoor, on a private jet belonging to Anil Ambani.[172] Her funeral took place on 28 February, at the Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium in Mumbai. The final rites were performed by her husband Boney Kapoor.[173][174] Sridevi was cremated with state honours and also received a gun salute at her funeral.[175] Her pyre was lit by her husband.[176] On 3 March, Sridevi’s ashes were flown into Tamil Nadu via Chennai by her husband and her two daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor and later taken to and immersed in the sea off the coast of Rameswaram.[177][178]
The film industry, friends, and fans responded to her death through social and other media outlets. Her husband, Boney Kapoor, wrote: “To the world, she was their Chandni, the actor par excellence, their Sridevi, but to me, she was my love, my friend, mother to our girls, my partner. To our daughters, she was their everything, their life. She was the axis around which our family ran.”[179] The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi lamented the death of Sridevi. On social media, he stated: “Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace.”[180] President Ram Nath Kovind wrote: “Shocked to hear of passing of movie star Sridevi. She has left millions of fans heartbroken. Her performances in films such as Moondram Pirai, Lamhe and English Vinglish remain an inspiration for other actors. My condolences to her family and close associates.”[181]
Many from the film community and Sridevi’s close relatives paid homage to her at Celebration Sports Club in Lokhandwala and at her funeral.[182][183][184] Thousands of fans took to streets to pay their respects. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the fans who gathered for the procession from Celebration Sports Complex to the crematorium. The crowd was said to number more than 7,000.[185][186]
Sridevi’s funeral is estimated to have attracted the fourth-highest number of mourners, ranking below the three previous biggest funeral processions of non-political film personalities Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Rajesh Khanna in India from the Hindi film industry.[187]
Sridevi is regarded as one of the greatest female stars of Indian cinema.[188][189][190][191] Highly regarded for her range as an actor, critics have commended, particularly her comedic abilities[71] and her skills as a dancer.[192] During the 1980s, Sridevi was the highest-earning woman in the Indian entertainment industry.[51] For her role in Mr. India (1987), she was paid a then-unprecedented ₹11 lakhs, making her the highest-paid Indian actress ever.[193] In a 2013 national poll conducted by CNN-IBN on the occasion of the centenary of Indian cinema, Sridevi was voted “India’s Greatest Actress in 100 Years”,[194][195] and she placed #10 in a UK poll, “100 Greatest Bollywood Stars”, in the same year.[196] In 2012, Sridevi was placed at No. 2 by NDTV in the listing of “The most popular Bollywood actresses of all time”.[197] Sridevi featured in Box Office India’s Top Actresses list from 1983 to 1993.[198]
An epitaph in Firstpost pointed out that Sridevi had been sufficiently important as an actor to be able to refuse parts in movies,[199] and The News Minute called her “a pathbreaker in many ways”.[200]The Guardian called her “the undisputed queen of Indian Cinema”.[7]
“If Sridevi had no other identity beyond the films that she did, the audiences probably have no concept of films in India without her. Irrespective of the era you were born in or the actors you liked, the cosmos of Hindi film fans is divided into two distinctive groups of those like Sridevi and the others. Unlike most other iconic stars that, in a way, took over from their predecessors, Sridevi never really replaced anyone and perhaps it is this aspect that makes her unique and peerless.”
Film critic Sukanya Verma described Sridevi as “one-of-a-kind”. She wrote, “Sridevi’s biggest plus point is her ability to be completely uninhibited in front of the camera.”[203] Sridevi is cited by media publications as a fashion icon. Her taste in clothes was varied and ranged from stylish casual to opulently majestic. She made her debut as a fashion model in 2008. The actress modelled clothes for designers Priya and Chintan at the Lakme Fashion Week.[204] The next year, she displayed the work of jewelry designer Queenie Dhodhy at the HDIL India Couture Week.[205] She worked at Lakme Fashion Week again in 2010,[citation needed] and at Delhi Couture Week 2012, showing clothes designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee.[206]
In a highly exceptional move, the actress became one of the few people from the Indian entertainment industry to be accorded with full state honours usually reserved only for current and former prime ministers, union and state ministers.[216] Sridevi was included in 2018 In Memoriam section during the 90th Academy Awards ceremony.[217] On the occasion of Sridevi’s birthday on 13 August 2019, Madame Tussauds Singapore has announced that a wax statue would soon be dedicated to her.[218] The statue is a replica of Sridevi’s look in the iconic song, “Hawaa Hawaai” from Mr. India. Her daughters, Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor were present at the ceremony accompanied by her husband, producer Boney Kapoor.[219]
Hines stopped recording in the early 1980s[7] until she returned with Right Here and Now in 1994,[6][8] the same year she became an Australian citizen.[2][9] She was the subject of the 2001 biography Diva: the life of Marcia Hines,[10] which coincided with the release of the compilation album Diva.[9] From 2003 to 2009 she was a judge on Australian Idol, and her elevated profile led to a renewed interest in her as a performer. Her 2006 album, Discotheque, peaked at number 6 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) albums chart.[2][11] Hines was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on July 18, 2007.[12][13][14]
Hines is the mother of singer Deni Hines, with whom she performed on the duet single “Stomp!” (2006).[11] Hines has sold 2.6 million albums and was the first Australian female artist to have a platinum-selling album, as well as the first female to have seven consecutive top 20 album releases.[15]
Hines was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Jamaican parents,[6] Eugene and Esmeralda Hines.[9] Eugene died when Hines was six months old due to an operation to remove shrapnel from a war wound.[9][16] Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell was her cousin,[7][17] as is the performer Grace Jones.[18] She was raised with her older brother Dwight, by their mother and began singing as a nine-year-old in her church choir. By her teens she was performing with groups in her local area and briefly used the stage-name Shantee Renee.[9] At 14, Hines won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music but left after three months.[2] A month after turning 16, Hines attended the Woodstock Festival.[18] In 1970, at age 16, Hines moved to Australia after landing a role in the Australian stage production Hair.[19]. . . .
Hines has a daughter, Deni Hines, who was born in Australia on September 4, 1970. Hines had been performing in Hair since she was 16 years old.[3][41] Hines has been married four times: French businessman Andre DeCarpentry, keyboard player Jamie McKinley, businessman Ghassan Bayni, and, in April 2005, she married Christopher Morrissey, whom she divorced in 2014.[35]
Hines grew up with asthma, missing months of schooling as a result of life-threatening attacks,[42] and was diagnosed with diabetes after collapsing at her home in 1986.[21] Her elder brother Dwight’s death by suicide, in April 1981, devastated Hines, but her mother Esmeralda (Esme) helped her through their grief.[18] Esme relocated to Australia to live with Hines and Deni in the 1980s, and she died in May 2003.[9]
About living apart together it says the following:
‘Widowers, tend to report that they have not repartnered because they are concerned about being undesirable partners due to older age and ill health.’
“Many older women are interested in companionship but may want to avoid long-term obligations and are hesitant to give up their new independence. However, an arrangement called Living Apart Together (LAT) offers an appealing alternative; it is a form of intimate ongoing companionship that allows each partner to maintain autonomy and independent households.”
Auntie, Sister. Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Mother and Wife of German Descent, lived in Australia since 1959. Husband Peter died in 2020. We had four children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. I, Uta, started blogging because I wanted to publish some of my childhood memories. I am blogging now also some of my other memories. I liked to publish some photos. I still like to publish a little bit of a diary. Peter, my husband, published some of his stories under berlioz1935.wordpress.com View all posts by auntyuta
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5 thoughts on “Romantic Relationships in later Life”
catterelEditInteresting. I must say that I haven’t been averse to forming a new relationship – I simply haven’t me anyone that suits! And I certainly enjoy my independence. There would have o be compromises on both sides. I think the key question is, how lonely are you are and what are you prepared to sacrifice in order to have he companionship you crave.Reply
auntyutaEditIn an intimate ongoing companionship each partner is to maintain autonomy and independent households, if it is based on LAT. So it should be quite different from a marriage relationship. Really no need to get married in old age, while still having some kind of companionship! Of course you have to be lucky to meet the right kind of partner for this kind of ongoing relationship. Reply
doesitevenmatter3EditInteresting! I think finding a good loving partner is difficult at any age. But, I definitely understand seniors wanting a good companion, affection, sharing adventures, etc. One day, years ago, I was visiting with my Mom and her friend Julie (Both widows in their mid to late 90’s…both had loved their husbands and missed them.) Julie said, “We don’t talk about men much anymore…we mostly talk about food and shopping.” I laughed. Then she said, “We think older men just want an older woman in their life for one of two reasons…they want you as their nurse…or they want your purse…they hope you have money.” The two of them laughed, and I laughed with them. (((HUGS))) Reply
auntyutaEditI think, if they want a nurse, wouldn’t it be more likely that a younger fairly healthy woman could act as a nurse? And should they not be in a position then to at least pay for their own way? This is indeed laughable, that only these very needy old man are available! I would laugh it off too, not wanting myself to burden with such a man. I would like only a man who could give me some enjoyment and pleasure just by being good company. Reply
auntyutaEditI have been thinking a bit about this dilemma, that maybe esspecially very elderly men and women might experience, I mean the dilemma of needing perhaps constant nursing care. Of course, this sort of thing can happen to anybody at any time. So, if one man or woman, or both, do need already constant nursing care, can they still look for sexual encounters with each other? If there is a mutual sexual attraction, why not?
The air temperature was 5 degrees and the water about 11, but that did not stop about 2,000 swimmers from plunging naked into Hobart’s River Derwent to celebrate the passing of the longest night.
Key points:
The River Derwent plunge started at sunrise — 7:42am
The event is held to celebrate the passing of the winter solstice, or longest night
It marks the end of the 2022 Dark Mofo festival
The annual Dark Mofo nude solstice swim is billed as offering “renewal and resurrection” to those willing to strip off outdoors during a Tasmanian winter.
But it may have left some with more of an ice cream headache.
One participant braced for the cold by planning the best technique for the brief dip.
“I think in and out, head down, bum up,” she said.
“Or maybe bum down, head up.”
Another swimmer’s philosophy was “feel the fear and do it anyway”.
Participants gathered before first light, huddling in coats and towels before dropping their kit and running into the water en masse.
Temperley Eva and Stephanie Plain met at the Dark Mofo festival and did the nude swim together.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Cairns resident Temperley Eva said it was the perfect way to end the festival.
However, the chilly water was a new experience.
“Cairns does not have cold water at all … you can’t have a cold shower, it’s lukewarm at best.”
Kerry Watson and Colin Sandbach loved the physical challenge and the camaraderie.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
New South Wales tourists Kerry Watson and Colin Sandbach joined the swim after an internet search of the best winter activities on a trip to Tasmania.
Kerry enjoyed challenging her body and stepping outside her comfort zone.
“I’m not comfortable with being naked amongst other people but it didn’t matter,” she said.
“I think I was the last one out and it was just invigorating and youthful and I don’t want to be old before my time.”
Colin loved the atmosphere and camaraderie.
“Everyone’s in a great frame of mind it’s just like a real party,” he said.
Nude swim manager Gemma Chisholm said the swim’s popularity had grown and many people had to be turned away, with tickets selling out two days after going on sale.
Swimmers celebrate the longest night being behind them for another year.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Following is my thought on the part of Gerard’s article that deals with shelters that are needed.
This article was posted by Gerard Oosterman more than ten years ago! If you want to read the whole article, please go to this link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-01-13/37674
“. . . . . Of course, for those old enough to have lived, learnt, and acquired skills in overcoming the misadventures of collapsing economies, no matter what, survival has long been elevated to a form of art. Most of those might already have taken the sagacious move of doing practise runs in hard time survival, indeed might well have lived their entire life based on day to day living simply.
They experienced long ago that, when in need, a close friend is better than a far away relative. It would be nice to contemplate that during severe and prolonged economic miseries, those elderly folks will be called upon to man the survival marquees’, dispensing all they know to the young in need of a kind word and reassurance, that all will be all right. Those old sages will be at the frontlines, spreading sweetness and goodness to the vulnerable and weak.
Their advice could well include doing away with those fences and unneeded multi garages and put into place granny accommodations. Not necessarily for good old grannies but for those in need of emergency stay. The good old habit of helping each other is now becoming a need and not an option anymore. He who gives will also receive. Who knows in what direction our previously dormant, charitable and benevolent talents will take us?
We might share our cars, our houses, and gardens for vegetables, chicken sheds and home grown pumpkins and using the diversity of communal skills.
Will it be too far fetched to imagine getting away altogether about the notions of full time jobs, bonuses, late night workings in the office, queuing in traffic, nerve wrecking shopping expeditions, holidays with burning to a crisp on cheerless beaches? How about the possibility, in the worst case of a collapsing economy, how sharing and living together might come about to help make the best of it all?”
What books would be hoarded? I could go on,” says Gerard.
Posted 13 Jan 200913 Jan 2009, updated 6 Feb 20206 Feb 2020
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It sounds to me, it would be good if we made up our minds to give some relevant help to those in need. Sadly, right now vulnerable and weak people are very much on the increase.
On the one hand there are huge houses and apartments with maybe only one person or nobody in it. On the other hand there are lots and lots of people that are totally homeless.
Why are there still more huge houses and aparments being built, rather than small, affordable houses and apartments?
During WW II and in postwar Germany people with a house or apartment that was large enough to share with others, had, I think by law, to accommodate some bombed out people or refugees. –
Here in Australia right now, most of the homeless people are the ones that cannot afford the ever increasing rent. For these people shared accommodation would help to make the rent more affordable. So, I think, somehow more shared accommodation should and could be offered!
Also, the building of affordable housing should be given priority.
If you are interested in a frugal lifestyle go to the above link. You’ll find there lots of ideas how to live a simple life and spending as little money as possible. I mean, those people who’s income gets less and less, have to cut down on spending wherever possible. It is not right to get more and more into debt, is it?
Think about it. If you are a small family, do you need a four bedroom house? Perhaps two of your bedrooms could be rented out to somebody who needs low cost renting?
The government provides some funds for housing of people who lost their homes in fires or floods. Of course these funds are not enough to house everybody in proper houses. My opinion is, that very simple housing should be made available asap to everybody who’s lost their home in a natural disaster. It should be possible to provide very simple basic housing at very low cost. I reckon a very simple hut is better than having no roof over your head. In the past generations of people survived in very simple huts!
The same goes for people that cannot pay the ever increasing mortgage anymore. Let them rent a very simple alternative, or let them share their homes with other people where this is possible. Why have homeless people in a country as rich as Australia? Why such a great gap between rich and poor?
In my previous post I pointed out, how in the past most students in Germany did have a very frugal lifestyle and were able to survive with very little money while having spare time to foster great companionship with other students.
“Apparently the survival rates of spouses on their own after the death of one a partner are sad reading. Over 66% also pass away within 6 months as well. Loneliness is the main reason.”
I often contemplate now, how I seem to face a dilemma that is not unlike that of the one that dear Gaby had to face after David became too sick to do any caring for her. Well, officially, he had been just her carer, not her partner. They had separate bedrooms of course. As a paid for carer he had to be in the house with her at nightime, in case Gaby needed him in an emergency. When David did take a few day’s leave to travel somewhere to have a break, Peter and I, as well as our young daughter Caroline, would stay with Gaby for a few days. We always had a good time with Gaby. It was like a little holiday. But then of course we were always happy, when we could travel home again.
So, there came a time, when David could not do anything for Gaby anymore. So, Gaby had to look for somebody who could replace him. She tried and tried to find somebody. She never gave up. How can a 54 year old very disabled person find a trustworthy live-in partner? Difficult, very, very difficult. This is all I can say. Now, did Gaby want to end up in institutional care? No, never! So, to be honest, isn’t it somehow a blessing that Gaby did die peacefully in her own home just a few weeks before her 55th birthday? – Originally her life expectancy had been 30 years! I think, one can say, she did do extremely well with her life.
So, to compare the last stages of Gaby’s life with my last stages. Aren’t we in a similar boat? Nobody, absolutely nobody, is inclined to share some of his life with me. There is not even one person, who would be willing to share just an evening with me! The only exception is my son Martin, who might spend about a week with me, that is he may visit for about a week maybe three times a year! Well, of course these are very beautiful special weeks for me. But how can these few weeks make me want to live forever when for the rest of the year I have the feeling to go on living is not worthwhile anymore, because, really, there is nobody living close by, who would be able to spend a few hours with me on a more or less regular basis. Yes, one can have hope, hope, hope. The fact is, with rapidly advancing years, there may come a time, when hope just is not enough anymore, and one is only too willing to welcome eternal rest! 🙂
I can’t keep up with the younger people anymore. All my family are much younger than me. A more elderly person, with not too many other attachments, might understand much better, what sort of company I do need, and hopefully could make valuable time for me. I feel, it is really only natural, if my time is running out now. I am only too willing to face up to it. I think, for the rest of my days, I’ll just concentrate more and more on reading, talking, and writing. I am determined to enjoy live as much as possible for as long as I live, but that does not mean, that I want to live much longer, or for ever and ever. When the time is up, it is up.
“Holy Mary, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
AuntyUta 
