India Loses Chandni: Sridevi No More

Bollywood icon Sridevi, 54, died after a cardiac arrest in a Dubai hotel late on Saturday night, plunging millions of Indians and her fans worldwide into shock and grief. The body’s repatriation was delayed as medical investigation and police formalities took time, media reports said. The cremation will take place on Monday.

The actor fainted in her hotel room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, where she was with her family, and was rushed to Rashidun Hospital where she was declared dead around 11.30 pm. Sridevi was in Dubai with her husband Boney Kapoor, daughter Khushi and other family members to attend nephew Mohit Marwah’s wedding.

Born Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, Sridevi worked in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films before entering the Hindi movie industry in an impressive career spanning five decades.

Her performance in Malayalam film Poombata (1971) won her the state award for Best Child Artist. Decades later, in 2013, the government of India conferred the Padma Shri on her, the fourth highest civilian honour.

The sudden demise of the actor came as a shock to her fans, within and outside Bollywood. After getting the news, actor Amitabh Bachchan cancelled the shoot of his film 102 Not Out at Film City in Mumbai. An hour before the death, he had tweeted about feeling anxiety without knowing why.

In the morning, fans started gathering outside Green Acres residential complex in upscale Lokhandwala where the Kapoors live. Amid tight security around the residence, fans gathered glumly on the footpath across the road. “We came here at 1 pm and will wait till the body reaches here,” said Saddam Hussain, a 23 -year-old Malad resident, hoping to get a last glimpse of the superstar.

Known to be reserved in real life, Sridevi came alive in front of the cameras, playing a wide array of roles. Her style and iconic dance moves are, to date, imitated by her fans the world over. She is ‘Miss Hawa Hawaaii’ and ‘Chandni’ for them. Sridevi started acting at the age of four and made her debut with MA Thirumugham’s “Thunaivan”. She continued acting in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films but it was her career in Bollywood that made her a household name in the country.

She made her Bollywood debut as a child artiste in 1975 hit “Julie” but continued ruling the South Indian film industry, where she established herself as the leading lady with films such as “16 Vayathinile”, “Sigappu Rojakkal”, “Meendum Kokila” and “Moondram Pirai”.

She gained commercial success with the 1983 film “Himmatwala”, opposite Jeetendra. The film established her as one of the best dancers in Indian cinema. Dressed as an apsara, a celestial beauty in Hindu mythology, performing to the hit track ‘Nainon mein sapna’. How her undercover scribe transformed into Ms Hawa Hawaaii, thanks to her dancing skills in one of the popular songs, is one of the most memorable scenes of the film.

Owing to the cult status the song went on to achieve, the Kavita Krishnamurthy number has been recreated a number of times in films such as “Shaitan” and most recently in Vidya Balan’s “Tumhari Sulu”.

‘Kaate nahi kat-te’ is an iconic sultry number which saw the actor romance an invisible man in a song revelling in a never-before-seen boldness and fantasy.

Her other major box office hits of the era were “Chaalbaaz”, where she played the role of twins, “Nagina”, and “Khuda Gawah” opposite Amitabh Bachchan.

Her pairing with Anil Kapoor, her “Mr India” co-star and brother-in-law, was particularly successful and she would work with him again in “Laadla” and “Judaai”.

After “Judaai”, Sridevi took a break from acting to focus on her marriage with Boney Kapoor. She had two daughters -- Janhvi and Khushi -- with Kapoor.

The actor made a successful comeback to cinema 15 years later with Gauri Shinde’s “English Vinglish”, playing a housewife who learns English after feeling left out in her family.

She also had a starring role in Tamil film “Puli” and followed “English Vinglish” with another successful outing in “Mom”, which also featured Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna.

The actor’s elder daughter Janhvi is on the cusp of her own cinematic journey with “Dhadak”, a remake of the Marathi blockbuster “Sairat”. Unfortunately, Sridevi will not be there to witness it.

“I am her biggest fan. I have tried to see her on so many occasions, at parties, film events and on sets, but wasn’t able to. My wish will remain unfulfilled,” said 32-year-old Ankush Upadhe, who came from faraway Mankhurd.