Bollywood Actor Sridevi passes away

Bollywood actress Sridevi has passed away late on Saturday in Dubai. She suffered from a massive cardiac arrest. She was 54. According to media reports, she was along with husband Boney Kapoor and youngest daughter Khushi at the time of death. 

Confirming the news, a source close to the family said,"Yes it's true. She was in Dubai while some of the other family members came back to India. We hear it's cardiac arrest."

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's mortal remains will be brought to Mumbai for final rites.

Sridevi was one of the most iconic actors of her generation, who started her career as a child artist at the age of 4 with Thunaivan. She first gained success in Bollywood with 'Himmatwala' in 1983. She has won five filmfare awards. 

Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan, Sridevi was known for her iconic roles in Hindi movies like 'Chandni', 'Lamhe', 'Mr. India', 'Chaalbaaz', 'Nagina', 'Sadma', and many more. Sridevi was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2013.

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.

The actress had also made a mark with her stellar performances in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. 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. Her daughter Janhvi is set to make her Bollywood debut this year with Karan Johar's production 'Dhadak'.