Actress Sridevi, arguably Bollywood’s first female superstar, died in Dubai on Saturday night following a cardiac arrest, Indian media reported. She was 54.
Sridevi is survived by her husband—producer Boney Kapoor—and daughters Jhanvi and Khushi. She was in Dubai to attend a family wedding.
Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, she started acting at age four, appearing in several Tamil films in the 60’s and 70’s, and eventually dropping out of school for a career in the movies. She acted in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films, making her presence felt performing alongside leading men such as Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.
Through the 80’s and 90’s she charmed audiences in female-centric films such as “Chandni” (Moonlight) and “Lamhe” (Moments), drawing praise for her comic timing in “Chaalbaaz” (Trickster) and Shekhar Kapur’s “Mr India”, playing feisty characters in marked contrast to the traditionally coy Bollywood heroine.
Sridevi’s death triggered an outpouring of tributes from Bollywood luminaries and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved Sridevi. A dark day. RIP,” actress Priyanka Chopra said on Twitter.
“She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances,” Modi said in a tweet by the prime minister’s office.
