Superstar Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor died of accidental drowning, a Dubai post-mortem report has said.
The 54-year-old actress, known simply as Sridevi, drowned in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness, it says.
It had earlier been reported that she died of cardiac arrest on Saturday while at a family wedding in Dubai.
Bollywood stars, sporting giants and leading politicians have reacted with shock to her death.
The media arm of the Dubai government said the post-mortem analysis had been completed and the cause of death ascertained.
The case has been passed to the Dubai Public Prosecution for what officials said were “regular legal procedures”.
The post-mortem report has been released by Dubai police to Sridevi’s family and the Indian consulate, the Gulf News says.
The paper said the report could mean a delay to the repatriation of the body. It had been expected to be flown home on Monday.
Crowds have gathered outside Sridevi’s home in Mumbai to pay their last respects ahead of a cremation.
The Dubai government tweet did not reveal the results of any toxicology tests.
The full post-mortem report has not yet been made public and will be expected to explain how the original report of cardiac arrest and the listing of “accidental drowning” are linked.
The actress had been in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew, Mohit Marwah. Few details had been given about the case prior to Monday’s release of the cause of death.
What has the reaction been to Sridevi’s death?
- Actress Priyanka Chopra tweeted: “I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi. A dark day. RIP”
- “The world has lost a very talented person who left behind a huge legacy in film,” said another big Bollywood name, Madhuri Dixit
- Leading actor Akshay Kumar tweeted: “A dream for many, had the good fortune of sharing screen space with her long ago and witnessed her continued grace over the years”
- Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar said: “We all grew up watching her and suddenly to hear that she is no longer with us is hard to digest”
- Indian President Ram Nath Kovind said her death had left millions of fans heartbroken
Why was she such a huge box-office draw?
The star of such classics as Mr India, Chandni, ChaalBaaz and Sadma, Sridevi worked in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages.
Her acting career began at the age of four and by 13 she was cast in the adult role of a woman avenging her lover’s death.
Sridevi debuted as a lead actress in a Bollywood film in 1978, soon becoming one of India’s biggest film stars.
She was considered one of the very few Indian female superstars capable of huge box-office success without the support of a male hero.
The actress decided to take a break from the film industry after the release of Judaai in 1997. She made a comeback in 2012, starring in English Vinglish.
In 2013, the Indian government awarded her the Padma Shri – the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour.
Source: BBC
