End Of An Era As B-Town Celebs And Fans Come Together To Bid Final Adieu To Superstar Sridevi
She had a knack for bringing us together – every time she appeared on the big screen, we, in unison, would be left captivated by her charms. And she did it yesterday again – brought the country together as it bid the final goodbye to India’s first female superstar, Sridevi.
A sea of fans had gathered outside The Celebration Sports Club in Andheri from as early as 4 am yesterday, waiting to catch one last glimpse of Sridevi. The mortal remains were kept at the club, minutes away from her Lokhandwala home, so that fans could pay their last respects to the star who had enthralled them for the past four decades. More than 200 policemen were present at the venue to keep the teeming crowd in check. The hall had three entry points – one each for VIPs, the media and the public.
Inside the hall, Sridevi’s mortal remains were draped in a red Kanjivaram saree with a bindi on her forehead. Sonam and Rhea Kapoor were by daughters Janhvi and Khushi’s side as the two were inconsolable, while Boney Kapoor put on a brave front. Anil and Sanjay Kapoor received the guests. Rani Mukerji, who has often expressed her admiration for the superstar and shared a deep friendship with her, lent her support to the family.
Bollywood came out in full force to pay homage to the actor, who left behind a legacy that very few will be able to match. Madhuri Dixit Nene, who enjoyed a healthy competition with the superstar in their heydays, was one of the first to arrive with husband Sriram Nene.
From yesteryear actors like Hema Malini, Rekha and Rakesh Roshan to the current crop including Ajay Devgn and Kajol, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor, B-Town celebs grieved the loss of one of the brightest talents.
Jaya Bachchan walked in with daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai while an emotional Vidya Balan came to bid adieu to her idol. Manish Malhotra, who considered Sridevi his muse and his closest friend, is said to have broken down in the final moments.
At the end of the condolence meet, the icon, who was conferred with Padma Shri in 2013, was given state honours as the Mumbai police offered her the Guard Of Honour and draped her body in the tricolour.
The actor began her final journey as mourners kept jostling for space to catch a glimpse of her cortege as it slowly made its way through the city to the Vile Parle crematorium. Some of the fans even tried to break through the barricades, forcing the police to resort to lathicharge. The body of the 54-year-old, who died in Dubai on Saturday, was taken in a hearse that was bedecked in white flowers. Her filmmaker husband, along with Arjun Kapoor, and other family members were beside her in the hearse.
Several stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Rohit Shetty and Farhan Akhtar came to the crematorium for the last rites. The surging crowd made it difficult for the stars to reach the venue. In fact, Sonam too had a tough time to reach the crematorium. After a few rituals, Boney preformed the mukhaagni [last rites] bidding the final adieu to his wife.
As an important chapter of his life came to an end, Boney issued a statement saying, “I am blessed to have the support of Arjun and Anshula [Kapoor, Boney’s children], who have been such pillars of strength for myself, Khushi and Janhvi. Together as a family we have tried to face this unbearable loss… To the world she was their Chandni, but to me she was my love, mother to our girls… She was the axis around which our family ran… Rest in peace, my love.
December 2018 already seems to be jam-packed with many big ticket films vying for a release. Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘Zero’ is already slated for a Christmas release and Ranveer Singh’s ‘Simmba’ is also not far behind. Now, it looks like another big film has joined the list which might lead to a major box office clash.
Veteran actress Sridevi’s untimely demise has left everyone reeling in shock. She was not only a talented actress but also had many other skills up her sleeve. One of them was painting and the actress had taken up the art in the last few years. In fact, she had made a beautiful painting of one of her B-town co-stars, Sonam Kapoor.
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Legendary actress Sridevi was cremated with full state honours. The Maharashtra government decided to accord her full state honours at her funeral which took place on Wednesday afternoon, official sources said. The state honours for the actress, who was conferred Padma Shri in 2013, included draping her body in the national tricolour, elaborate arrangements by the Mumbai Police, and a gun salute before the cremation. The entire family, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, husband Boney Kapoor bid a tearful adieu to the Chandni star.
Sridevi is a very popular actress and not just in Bollywood but down South too. She has delivered some impressive performances over the years. From films like ‘Chandni’ to ‘Sadma’, Sridevi has won accolades for her work. The actress has also been a part of several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies. In a career spanning three decades, Sridevi took a sabbatical and returned to Bollywood with ‘English Vinglish’. In her remarkable career, Sridevi has also turned down several films and here’s a list of films which she rejected.
Sridevi’s last film appearance will be in Aanand L Rai’s Zero starring Shah Rukh Khan, which is slated to release in December. The late actor shot with Karisma Kapoor and Alia Bhatt last October. It has several leading Bollywood female actors doing cameos.
Three days after she died in Dubai, actor Sridevi’s body has been brought to her home in Mumbai. She was flown in a private jet from Dubai on Tuesday evening, accompanied by family members, including her film-maker husband Boney Kapoor and stepson Arjun Kapoor. Hundreds of fans waited outside their residence in Lokhandwala as the ambulance carrying Sridevi’s body drove in from the airport. Sridevi, who was in Dubai to attend a family wedding, died in a hotel room on Saturday. She was 54. A forensic report said she “accidentally drowned” in a bathtub after losing consciousness. Sridevi’s body was handed over to her family on Tuesday evening after government officials in Dubai said they had closed the probe into her death. Last rites will be held in Mumbai today.
Ending speculation over Bollywood diva Sridevi’s sudden death, the Dubai Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday released her body to the family after determining that she accidentally drowned in the bathtub following loss of consciousness. Family members, including her film-maker husband Boney Kapoor and stepson Arjun Kapoor, took the body from the morgue, got it embalmed and flew to Mumbai for her final journey home on a private plane that had been parked at the Dubai airport since Sunday. The Embraer jet, owned by industrialist Anil Ambani, will land in Mumbai later tonight, and the cremation is scheduled tomorrow around 3.30 p.m.
The Dubai Public Prosecution confirmed that Sridevi’s death case has been successfully carried out and the case has been closed after completing all the investigations under her mysterious death. The DPP stated that Sridevi’s death was caused by “accidental drowning following loss of consciousness.”