Sridevi's demise: How things unfolded
Her passing on Sunday, at the age of 54 has left the nation reeling in shock and disbelief. Tributes and condolences have poured in form fans, film stars, public personalities and even PM Modi.
The past two days have seen numerous reports come to light about her sudden passing. From citing cardiac arrest to "accidental drowning" as the cause of death, apart from numerous reports and theories floating around, here's a look at how things unfolded over the past days.
News breaks of Sridevi's passing
Another death hoax?
It was only after a source close to the family said, "Yes it's true," that everyone soon had to come to terms with the shocking loss.
Sanjay Kapoor confirms the news of Sridevi's passing
After landing in Dubai, he further revealed that the acting legend had no history of heart ailments and that the entire family was also in complete shock.
Bollywood superstars, to top South actors and politicians collectively express their sadness and offer condolences
Sridevi's mortal remains supposed to arrive on Sunday
Theories of why a fit and fine Sridevi suffered a cardiac arrest begin to surface
Celebs start arriving at Anil Kapoor's residence to offer condolences
On the other hand, fans gathered outside Sridevi's residence hoping to see her for the last time and bid her goodbye.
Sridevi was prepping up for a dinner date with her hubby Boney Kapoor?
Reportedly, Boney invited her to dinner. The actress went to the bathroom to get ready for the same, however, as she didn't come out even after 15 minutes, he had to force open the door reportedly as there was no response when he knocked. He saw Sridevi lying motionless in the bathtub and tried to revive her. On not being able to do so, it was reported that he called a friend after which he informed the police.
A shocking twist, 'accidental drowning' citied as cause of Sridevi's death
In a tweet by the Dubai officials, it was disclosed that the car used to transport the actress to the hospital was being transferred to the Dubai Public Prosecution which would carry out procedures followed in such cases.
Post that, it was reported that phone records of the actress are being checked. The police will not release the body as further investigations are likely to happen. A Dubai prosecutor said more investigation was required and that the mortal remains would not be released.
Late Monday night, Dubai Police awaits clearance
When Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri was asked when the actor's body would be repatriated, he said that it was difficult to give any timeline as the UAE authorities were doing things according to procedure.
Dubai Police records the statement of Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor
Reports further state that he was called at Bur Dubai police station for investigation. He was allowed to go back to his hotel room after they took his statement.
Sridevi's 'Mom' co-star Adnan Siddiqui reveals Boney Kapoor was crying like a baby till 5 am
Sridevi’s Pakistani co-actor from 'Mom' (Sridevi’s last film), Adnan Siddiqui was one of the first few people to reach the Jumeirah Emirates Tower after learning about the actress’s demise on Saturday night.
According to reports, the actor revealed that he got a call from a journalist at around 11 pm asking if the news about Sridevi's death was true. He apparently immediately called up Boney Kapoor and rushed to him. The actor said that he reached the hotel to find the investigation going on and the room cordoned off. Adnan allegedly added that at the time of the investigation, only Boney and Dubai officials were present, so he waited in the lobby for about an hour. When things got a little settled, Boney, who was apparently accompanied by a family friend, his wife and daughter called Adnan upstairs. The actor revealed that "Boney saab was crying like a baby; he was inconsolable". Adnan was with him until 5 am, after which he advised him to rest, and then left.
Arjun Kapoor heads to Dubai to be with grieving father Boney Kapoor
"Arjun has gone to Dubai this morning to be with his father at the hotel while the formalities are being wrapped up and to oversee the return journey,” read a statement.
According to reports, there could be a delay in Sridevi's body being brought back to India, with the Dubai police informing the Indian Embassy that another "clearance" was awaited before the body could be released.
Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding and had stayed back after the ceremonies. Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi but returned to Dubai to surprise her.
The news of her death was first reported at around 3 a.m. IST on Sunday, sending shock waves across the country.
Dubai Police releases Sridevi's mortal remains to the family
Consulate General of India in Dubai took to Twitter to reveal that the late actress's body has been handed over to her family members along with letters of release. The tweet read as follows: "Update: Dubai Police has handed over the Consulate and the family members letters for the release of the mortal remains of the Indian cinema icon Sridevi Boney Kapoor so that they can proceed for embalming."
Sridevi's demise in the early hours of Sunday, at the age of 54, left the nation reeling in shock and disbelief. Tributes and condolences have poured in from fans, film stars, public personalities and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.
The past two days have seen numerous reports come to light about her sudden passing. From citing cardiac arrest to accidental drowning as the cause of death, the remains of Sridevi have finally got a release order by the Dubai police and reports now say that the family would be getting the remains of the body back today itself.
Sridevi’s mortal remains arrive in Mumbai
Dubai Public Prosecutor's Office put an end to speculation about the cause of her death, saying she accidentally drowned in the bathtub following a loss of consciousness, and that the "case was now closed."
Her body was taken to her Lokhandwala residence last night where there was tight police security and private security men deployed for crowd management.
Sridevi’s remains reach Celebration Sports Club for fans and celebrities to pay their last respects
Apart from a number of celebrities and close friends, a large number of fans queued outside the venue to pay their last respects to the late actress.
The last journey will commence at around 2 pm from Celebration Sports Club to Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery. The cremation will take place at around 3:30 pm.
Sonam Kapoor with alleged beau Anand Ahuja and Sanjay Kapoor among many other tinsel town celebs were seen at the darshan venue.
Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Ambani and Katrina Kaif arrive at Vile Parle crematorium
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan arrived at the cremation ground to offer his last respects and attend the last rites of the Bollywood legend. He was followed by industrialist Anil Ambani and Katrina Kaif. Notably, Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer 'Zero' will end up becoming Sridevi's last appearance in a Hindi film.
Boney Kapoor and daughters Janhvi and Khushi immerse Sridevi’s ashes
Sridevi reportedly passed away from accidental drowning in the bathtub of her hotel room in Dubai. Husband Boney was present in the room at the time of her demise. Her older daughter Janhvi is about to make her Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s production ‘Dhadak’ in July 2018.
Late actress Sridevi’s prayer meet held in Chennai, Kollywood pays tribute
The event, which is out of bounds for the media, saw the attendance of several actors along with Boney Kapoor and daughters Janhvi and Khushi who flew down from Mumbai for the event.
Actors Suriya, Arun Vijay, Prabhu Deva, Jyotika, Meena, Raadika Sarath Kumar and Suhasini Mani Ratnam, fashion designer Manish Malhotra and Lata Rajinikanth made their presence felt.
According to reports, earlier in the day, the South Indian Artists Association (SIAA) had organised a condolence meeting in which several office-bearers and members, including actors Bhagyaraj, Sivakumar, Sripriya and Ambika were present.
Is this why Sridevi's sister Srilatha remained tight-lipped after the sudden demise of the actress?
While the Kapoor family had issued a public statement after her demise, her sister Srilatha continues to remain tight-lipped. Apparently, Srilatha has been asked to keep mum on the matter and not speak up on the issue. According to reports, Srilatha and her husband Satish will be given ownership of Sridevi's bungalow in Chennai.
The report further suggests that the properties that were bought from Sridevi's earnings and registered in the name of her parents for the purpose of tax savings are now expected to be transferred to her sister.
Boney Kapoor immerses Sridevi's ashes in Haridwar along with family members
Now, according to latest reports, Boney performed the last rites of his late wife on Thursday, along with brother Anil Kapoor, Manish Malhotra, Amar Singh and other family members at the VIP ghat in Haridwar in Uttarakhand. The rituals were apparently held amidst strong police protection.
Boney Kapoor attends Sridevi’s prayer meet held by Meet Brothers
Earlier, Boney and daughters Janhvi and Khushi held a prayer meet for the late actress in Chennai, which was attended by many celebrities from the Tamil film industry. Sanjay Kapoor along with few family members and Amar Singh were also present.
The legendary actress' ashes were immersed in Rameswaram and Haridwar by her husband.
Ex-cop doubts Sridevi's death could be a murder
According to the reports, an ex-cop named Ved Bhushan has claimed that he wasn’t allowed to have a look at Sridevi’s hotel room but enacted her death scene in the adjacent room and the accidental drowning didn’t make sense to him in those circumstances. Ved also reportedly claimed that it’s very easy to put someone in bathtub forcefully until the victim stops breathing without leaving any evidence of the crime.
Supreme Court had recently rejected a plea by filmmaker Sunil Singh requesting an investigation into the mysterious death of Sridevi.
After winning the National Award for her film ‘Mom’, the actress was posthumously honoured at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 recently.
Retired ACP alleges Dawood Ibrahim's involvement is Sridevi's demise
Bollywood’s first female superstar Sridevi’s sudden demise on February 25th this year left everyone in a state of shock and intense grief. The late actress who had gone to Dubai to attend a family wedding was found dead in her bathtub inside her hotel room by her husband Boney Kapoor. Ever since then speculations about this heartbreaking incident have been doing the rounds.
Recently, retired ACP Ved Bhushan came up with an opinion that the actress’ death looked like a “planned murder” and not an “accidental death”. And now the ACP also has alleged that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim may be involved in it since he has a stronghold in Dubai and also has a close relationship with the Dubai prince’s family.
In order to clear his doubts he reportedly even stayed in the same hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai with his private investigation agency for a night. The hotel, too, is apparently owned by Dawood Ibrahim. He is now planning to file an appeal in the Supreme Court on this investigation so that the death of Sridevi can be re-examined.
The ACP further alleged that when he asked the Dubai Police to hand him over Sridevi’s blood samples and reports of how much water had entered her lungs, they apparently denied the access and only gave him the post-mortem report. He also raised his suspicion on an insurance policy which is reportedly worth Rs 240 crore in Sridevi’s name in Oman, which could only be encashed if the actress died in Dubai.
After Sridevi's demise, Boney Kapoor playing role of both father and mother for daughters
Janhvi Kapoor feels the untimely loss of mom Sridevi brought the Kapoor family together
Janhvi recently opened up about the untimely demise of her mom Sridevi which has eventually brought the Kapoor family together in the time of crisis.
It is to be noted, Boney Kapoor’s children Anshula and Arjun Kapoor have come very close to their half-siblings, Janhvi and Khushi in the time of need. Talking about it, Janhvi reportedly revealed how the family has come together to make them feel safe and secure and how it’s also comforting for their father Boney Kapoor.
However, she also accepted that the shocking loss of the Bollywood superstar is a loss none of them will ever get over.