Sridevi passes away at 54

Mumbai: Veteran actor Sridevi, who had an illustrious career spanning over four decades, passed away in Dubai. She was 54.

According to the family sources, the actor, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, reportedly died due to cardiac arrest late in the night in Dubai, where she had gone, along with her family, to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding.

While some of the family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and Khushi stayed back.

A versatile actor, Sridevi made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with "Solva Sawan".

But it was only after five years with Jeetendra-starrer "Himmatwala" that she gained commercial success. Her beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after artistes in the Hindi film industry.

While films like "Mawaali" (1983), "Tohfa" (1984), "Mr India" (1987) and "Chandni" (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings like "Sadma" (1983), "ChaalBaaz" (1989), "Lamhe" (1991), and "Gumrah" (1993) earned her critical acclaim.

She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production "Judaai" co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. It was director Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish" in 2012 that marked Sridevi's comeback.

Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.

Last year, she was seen in revenge-drama "Mom" opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film "Zero" which releases in December.

But by the time she made her entry into Bollywood, the actor was a known face in South Indian films. She made her debut in Tamil films as a child artiste with "Thunaivan" in 1969. As an adult, she debuted in Tamil cinema in late 70s. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.

Besides Boney and Khushi, she is survived by older daughter Janhvi Kapoor, who is currently working towards making her entry into the Hindi cinema. Sridevi was step-mother to actor Arjun Kapoor and his sister Anshula, who Boney had from late first wife Mona.

Cardiac arrest?? She looked so healthy.

Such a beauty, a versatile & talented actress.

Each of her south movies I've watched are classics.

I thought it was a hoax until I read that it was confirmed by Sanjay Kapoor himself before he caught a flight back to Dubai. I was watching Aaj Tak for live coverage in India on her death. The journalist outside her apartment building said that her foot slipped in the bathroom followed by a massive heart attack. By the time Boney Kapoor brought her to the hospital, she was announced dead. 😭 I'm just not understanding how she could've had such a massive heart attack if she wasn't a patient of coronary artery disease. Being a celebrity, she had all kinds of access to healthcare and must've gotten her annual physical done in a punctual manner. 😕 Puzzling, but at the end of the day it was her time to go. 🥺

I know how you feel, Mish. I recall seeing pictures from Mohit Marwah's wedding on the web a couple of days ago. Noticed how elegant Sri and her daughter looked for one of the functions. She was a timeless beauty with an impeccable amount of grace. Her and Rekha both epitomized elegance in Bollywood for many decades. Never in a million years did I think we'd be watching footage of her pending funeral. 😭

Guys, are any of you following this story? The whole case seems to be getting more bizarre with each passing day. From the medical standpoint, the massive cardiac arrest didn't make sense to me given that she lead an active lifestyle and that her family had already admitted that she didn't have coronary artery disease. 🤔

Yes, I am following the news on Times. Don't know what to say here.

Hopefully things will be clear and that her final rituals are done in timely manner. My heart goes out to her daughters.

Such a phenomenal actress. I still remember her tandav dance in Chandani.

It is tough for Sajal. You become more to close to people who stand by you in your tough times.

I have seen half of MOM and loved their performances.