Having a career which expanded for over four decades, Bollywood's Veteran actress Sridevi passed away at the age of 54.
The actor, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late in the night reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding.
Confirming the news of her death, Sridevi's brother-in-law and actor Sanjay Kapoor, told IANS: "Yes, it is true."
Sanjay, however, could not reveal more details as he was on his way to Dubai.
While some of her family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and her younger daughter Khushi stayed back. Her elder daughter -- Janhvi -- had not travelled with the family because of the shooting schedule for her upcoming Bollywood film, her first in the industry.
Sridevi, known for her versatility as an actor, 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.
Before her entry into Bollywood, the actor had been a known face in South Indian films. She made her debut as a child artist in in Tamil film "Thunaivan" in 1969. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.
Sridevi's beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after actors 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 also shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, "Zero", which releases in December.
Minutes after the news of her death broke, many Bollywood actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh took to Twitter to pay their condolences.
Here is what some of the Bollywood personalities tweeted:
Ram Gopal Verma shares his feelings about Sridevi
Nimrat Kaur: "Absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of #Sridevi. What a dark black terrible moment in time. Gutted."
Sushmita Sen tweeted: "I just heard Ma'am Sridevi passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest. I am in shock...can't stop crying..."
Madhur Bhandarkar tweeted: "Unbelievable Shocking & Heartbreaking to hear about the demise of #Sridevi, one of the talented Actress of Indian Cinema. Prayers and strength to the family. #OmShanti"
Priyanka Chopra: "I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi . A dark day. RIP."
Amitabh Bachchan in a cryptic tweet wrote, "Don't know why, feeling a strange restlessness."
Johnny Lever tweeted: "Deeply saddened and shocked to hear about #Sridevi Ji. My prayers and condolences to the family," he tweeted.
"Really Shocked and disturbed to hear that Sridevi Ma'am is no more. #RIP #Sridevi," wrote Sidharth.
Actor Shilpa Shetty's husband -- Raj Kundra -- posted, "Heartbroken by this news!! She was One of the finest kindest souls I ever knew. Speechless shocked. #RIP#Sridevi this is just not right at all! May god give all the family strength at this darkest hour."
Riteish tweeted, "Terrible terrible news.... Am shocked beyond words. SRIDEVI ji No More ... RIP,"
Actor Nimrat Kaur tweeted, "Absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of #Sridevi. What a dark black terrible moment in time. Gutted."
Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival, tweeted, "Shocked to hear of the passing of India's legendary Sridevi. Honoured to have been in her presence in 2012 when she visited Toronto for English Vinglish. She made countless millions fall in love with her characters."
Richa Chadha tweeted: Someone say this isn’t true
Boman Irani: ''Just woken up to the tragic and shocking news of the passing of our dear Sridevi ji. Heartfelt condolences to Boneyji and her family.''
President Kovind: ''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''
PMO tweeted on behalf of PM Modi: ''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"
Randeep Hooda: "It’s shocking .. gone too soon .. RIP"
This is what Anupama Chopra had to say about her: "I first met Sridevi on the sets of Chandni - she was a vision in white. But she hardly spoke. I don’t know of any other actor who transformed so completely in front of the camera. Her acting had such range & depth & power. What a loss. RIP"
Rajinkanth: "I’m shocked and very disturbed. I’ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them RIPSridev ... you will be missed."
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: "t’s a heart breaking news, can’t even imagine in the worst of my dreams - World losses the best performer - Condolences to the Family.
Rest in Peace Sridevi Ji"
Virendra Sehwag: "Shocked to hear about the demise of #Sridevi ji .Heartfelt Condolences to the family. Om Shanti !"
Rahul Gandhi: "Shocked to hear about the sudden and untimely death of one of India’s favourite actress, Sridevi. Sridevi was an incredibly talented and versatile actress whose vast body of work spanned a range of genres and languages. My condolences to her family. May her soul rest in peace."
Huma Qureshi: "Still can't get over the shock .. End of an era Srideviji... A legend , an icon and India's brightest star.. She was always so encouraging and sweet .. My prayers and thoughts are with the family. RIP"
Madhuri Dixit-Nene: "Just woke up to the terrible news of Sridevi passing. My heart goes out to her family. The world has lost a very talented person who left behind a huge legacy in film."
Parineeti Chopra: "CANNOT believe this. I have no words. Rip Sridevi ma’am. You were the most beautiful. Strength to Boney uncle, jahnvi, khushi and the whole family. "
Raveena Tandon: "Woken up to Absolute Shock and Disbelief ! Tragic news ! Im at a loss of words,can’t comprehend this at all! Why? Gone Too soon ,Sri , my heart goes out to Boneyji,jahnvi and Khushi at this moment. Condolences and Prayers ."
Rajkumar Rao: "Can’t believe it, my most fav actress #Sridevi ji is no more. It’s a huge loss. Met her so many times in last couple of months and she was always so kind and gracious. You’ll be missed ma’am. We all love you and very proud of you and your achievements."
Shilpa Shetty Kundra: I’m in a state of shock, can’t get over this heartbreaking news.Such a beautiful soul, may you rest in peace Sri ji . Will miss u terribly
Ajay Devgn: "Still can’t believe it. She was truly iconic. Shocked."
Kajol: "Shocked stunned. Still see her laughing talking. Unbelievable. Actor par excellence. A school in herself.. learnt so much from her. Still can’t believe it . A huge loss"
Manisha Koirala: "Shocked and Pained at this news ..no age to go ! Most glamorous and talented actress I admired!! I use to wait for all her films release eagerly"
The actor, wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late in the night reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding.
Confirming the news of her death, Sridevi's brother-in-law and actor Sanjay Kapoor, told IANS: "Yes, it is true."
Sanjay, however, could not reveal more details as he was on his way to Dubai.
While some of her family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and her younger daughter Khushi stayed back. Her elder daughter -- Janhvi -- had not travelled with the family because of the shooting schedule for her upcoming Bollywood film, her first in the industry.
Sridevi, known for her versatility as an actor, 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.
Before her entry into Bollywood, the actor had been a known face in South Indian films. She made her debut as a child artist in in Tamil film "Thunaivan" in 1969. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.
Sridevi's beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after actors 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 also shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film, "Zero", which releases in December.
Minutes after the news of her death broke, many Bollywood actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen, Sidharth Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh took to Twitter to pay their condolences.
Here is what some of the Bollywood personalities tweeted:
Ram Gopal Verma shares his feelings about Sridevi
Nimrat Kaur: "Absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of #Sridevi. What a dark black terrible moment in time. Gutted."
Sushmita Sen tweeted: "I just heard Ma'am Sridevi passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest. I am in shock...can't stop crying..."
Madhur Bhandarkar tweeted: "Unbelievable Shocking & Heartbreaking to hear about the demise of #Sridevi, one of the talented Actress of Indian Cinema. Prayers and strength to the family. #OmShanti"
Priyanka Chopra: "I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi . A dark day. RIP."
Amitabh Bachchan in a cryptic tweet wrote, "Don't know why, feeling a strange restlessness."
Johnny Lever tweeted: "Deeply saddened and shocked to hear about #Sridevi Ji. My prayers and condolences to the family," he tweeted.
"Really Shocked and disturbed to hear that Sridevi Ma'am is no more. #RIP #Sridevi," wrote Sidharth.
Actor Shilpa Shetty's husband -- Raj Kundra -- posted, "Heartbroken by this news!! She was One of the finest kindest souls I ever knew. Speechless shocked. #RIP#Sridevi this is just not right at all! May god give all the family strength at this darkest hour."
Riteish tweeted, "Terrible terrible news.... Am shocked beyond words. SRIDEVI ji No More ... RIP,"
Actor Nimrat Kaur tweeted, "Absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of #Sridevi. What a dark black terrible moment in time. Gutted."
Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival, tweeted, "Shocked to hear of the passing of India's legendary Sridevi. Honoured to have been in her presence in 2012 when she visited Toronto for English Vinglish. She made countless millions fall in love with her characters."
Richa Chadha tweeted: Someone say this isn’t true
Boman Irani: ''Just woken up to the tragic and shocking news of the passing of our dear Sridevi ji. Heartfelt condolences to Boneyji and her family.''
President Kovind: ''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''
PMO tweeted on behalf of PM Modi: ''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"
Randeep Hooda: "It’s shocking .. gone too soon .. RIP"
This is what Anupama Chopra had to say about her: "I first met Sridevi on the sets of Chandni - she was a vision in white. But she hardly spoke. I don’t know of any other actor who transformed so completely in front of the camera. Her acting had such range & depth & power. What a loss. RIP"
Rajinkanth: "I’m shocked and very disturbed. I’ve lost a dear friend and the industry has lost a true legend. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I feel the pain with them RIPSridev ... you will be missed."
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: "t’s a heart breaking news, can’t even imagine in the worst of my dreams - World losses the best performer - Condolences to the Family.
Rest in Peace Sridevi Ji"
Virendra Sehwag: "Shocked to hear about the demise of #Sridevi ji .Heartfelt Condolences to the family. Om Shanti !"
Rahul Gandhi: "Shocked to hear about the sudden and untimely death of one of India’s favourite actress, Sridevi. Sridevi was an incredibly talented and versatile actress whose vast body of work spanned a range of genres and languages. My condolences to her family. May her soul rest in peace."
Huma Qureshi: "Still can't get over the shock .. End of an era Srideviji... A legend , an icon and India's brightest star.. She was always so encouraging and sweet .. My prayers and thoughts are with the family. RIP"
Madhuri Dixit-Nene: "Just woke up to the terrible news of Sridevi passing. My heart goes out to her family. The world has lost a very talented person who left behind a huge legacy in film."
Parineeti Chopra: "CANNOT believe this. I have no words. Rip Sridevi ma’am. You were the most beautiful. Strength to Boney uncle, jahnvi, khushi and the whole family. "
Raveena Tandon: "Woken up to Absolute Shock and Disbelief ! Tragic news ! Im at a loss of words,can’t comprehend this at all! Why? Gone Too soon ,Sri , my heart goes out to Boneyji,jahnvi and Khushi at this moment. Condolences and Prayers ."
Rajkumar Rao: "Can’t believe it, my most fav actress #Sridevi ji is no more. It’s a huge loss. Met her so many times in last couple of months and she was always so kind and gracious. You’ll be missed ma’am. We all love you and very proud of you and your achievements."
Shilpa Shetty Kundra: I’m in a state of shock, can’t get over this heartbreaking news.Such a beautiful soul, may you rest in peace Sri ji . Will miss u terribly
Ajay Devgn: "Still can’t believe it. She was truly iconic. Shocked."
Kajol: "Shocked stunned. Still see her laughing talking. Unbelievable. Actor par excellence. A school in herself.. learnt so much from her. Still can’t believe it . A huge loss"
Manisha Koirala: "Shocked and Pained at this news ..no age to go ! Most glamorous and talented actress I admired!! I use to wait for all her films release eagerly"
