“but to me she was my love, my friend, mother to our girls..."
Thousands of Sridevi fans and admirers gathered on Wednesday 28th February 2018 to pay their final respects as the Bollywood superstar was cremated with full state honours.
Sridevi’s body, which was wrapped in an Indian flag, was carried to the crematorium in a truck decorated with flowers and a huge poster of the actress.
The final rites and funeral were conducted according to Hindu customs.
Many Bollywood film stars attended the Celebration Sports Club in the Andheri West area of Mumbai, to mourn the passing of India’s first female superstar.
Some of the names consisting of Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sidharth Malhotra, Jaya Bachchan, Rekha and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were present at the prayer meeting.
Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who also attended the prayer meeting, tweeted:
“Sridevi ji has left behind a remarkable body of work. She was a people’s superstar. She will live with through her work, her songs!!”
Inside the Celebration Sports Club, Sridevi was placed on a raised platform and the hall was adorned with flowers.
In addition to her husband, producer Boney Kapoor and two daughters, Janhvi and Khushi, her extended family stood by the platform.
Later in the day, an official public statement on behalf of the Kapoor, Ayyappan and Marwah family was released on Mohit Marwah’s Twitter page.
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) February 28, 2018
The statement reads:
“The past few days have been trying times for us as a family. Today particularly has been one of the hardest. We laid to rest a beautiful soul who has gone too soon.”
“She leaves behind a legacy that is unique. Her talent was undeniable, her beauty unmatched and her ability to connect with the audience was legendary. Sri had the same with her connect with her family as well.”
The heartfelt statement also requests the media to respect the families’ privacy and allow hem space to grieve:
“Sri lived her life with dignity and we implore, that you give the same respect.”
Boney Kapoor also tweeted on his late wife’s Twitter page:
“Losing a friend, wife and mother of your young two daughters is a loss inexplicable in words.
“To the world she was their Chandni… the actor par excellence… their Sridevi… but to me she was my love, my friend, mother to our girls… my partner.”
— SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR (@SrideviBKapoor) February 28, 2018
Despite family requests that no images be posted, many Indian press have been capturing images and videos of Sridevi’s body and the procession throughout the day. Many of these have been uploaded to news websites and even social media, against the family’s wishes.
Aged just 54, it was reported by her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor that Sridevi passed away as a result of a ‘cardiac arrest’ whilst she was attending her nephew – Mohit Marwah’s wedding in Dubai.
However, police officials in Dubai revealed that the Chaalbaaz actress passed away “due to accidental drowning following the loss of consciousness.” The full post-mortem report is yet to release.
The actress will be remembered for her numerous performances in films like Mr India, Lamhe, Chandni, English Vinglish and Mom.
Being the first Indian actresses to push for an equal salary and screen-space as her male co-stars, Sridevi was an icon and inspiration in every way.
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