Bollywood actress Sridevi passes away at 54

Popularly hailed as the first female superstar of Hindi cinema,Veteran actor Sridevi died in Dubai on Saturday after a cardiac arrest. She was 54. Sridevi was in Dubai to attend her nephew’s wedding.

The actor had married film producer Boney Kapoor with whom she had two daughters. Her sudden death shocked Bollywood and legions of her followers who reached outside her Mumbai house.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences. “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,” he said.’

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.

Bollywood mourns sudden demise of Sridevi

Shocked beyond words to hear about the sad and untimely demise of #Sridevi. A dream for many, had the good fortune of sharing screen space with her long ago and witnessed her continued grace over the years. Thoughts and prayers with the family. RIP 🙏🏻

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) February 25, 2018

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. #Sridevi

— Kajol (@KajolAtUN) February 25, 2018

Woke up to the shocking news about #Sridevi ji. In complete disbelief! Gone too soon. Rest in Peace.

— Shreya Ghoshal (@shreyaghoshal) February 25, 2018

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 😔#Sridevi pic.twitter.com/v6cL9rWkC5

— SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA (@TheShilpaShetty) February 25, 2018