Bollywood legend Sridevi dies at 54

The actor died in Dubai after attending a wedding in the UAE

Actress Sridevi Kapoor, considered by many to be Bollywood's first female superstar, has died after a heart attack in Dubai. She was 54. In this picture she's seen at the gala presentation of 'English Vinglish' at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival, September 14, 2012. Mark Blinch / Reuters

Her acting career began as a child in regional cinema in India's south and she made her debut in Hindi-language Bollywood films in the late '70s. She was renowned for her dancing skills. AFP

This file photo taken on December 17, 2012 shows Indian Bollywood actress Sridevi with her husband Boney Kapoor (L) and daughters Khushi (2nd R) and Jhanvi Kapoor (R). AFP

This photo taken on April 5, 2013 shows then-Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (R) presenting the Padma Shree award to Indian film actress Sridevi (L) during the presentation of the "Padma Awards 2013" at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi. AFP

After her marriage to film producer Boney Kapoor, the Bollywood star, who is survived by her husband and two daughters, stopped acting for several years but made a well-received comeback in 2012 with English Vinglish, about a middle-aged woman learning English. AP

Indian film stars came out last night to pay tribute to the actor. “I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved Sridevi,” wrote actor Priyanka Chopra. Reuters

Bollywood superstar Sridevi has died after a heart attack in Dubai hotel Emirates Towers on Saturday night. She was aged 54.

She was in the Emirates for the wedding of her nephew, Raag Desh actor Mohit Marwah, to stylist Antara Motiwala.

Anil Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar and more Bollywood stars also attended the wedding, which was at the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah.

“This was shocking to all of us. We are still in a state of shock and are heartbroken,” said Sanjay Kapoor, the younger brother of Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s brother-in-law. He arrived in Dubai following news of Sridevi’s passing.“She passed away in the hotel itself. There was no heart problem she had that I was aware of,” he said.

Mr Kapoor said the family are now awaiting the results of the autopsy and are conscious of the legalities overseas.

“People have been really helpful and are trying to do their best. Everybody has to do their job. This is the normal procedure when something like this happens suddenly. We naturally have to abide by the country we are in.”

Dubai Police's forensic team will carry out an autopsy and then prepare the body for repatriation to Mumbai. Once the paperwork is completed and the body is returned to India, a death certificate will be issued and her passport will be cancelled by Indian authorities in Dubai.

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Why every Bollywood fan will mourn Sridevi

Pictures and video of Sridevi's last days in the UAE

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Her career

She started her film career at the age of four and went on to appear in more than 275 films, many of them major hits. She used one name, like many leading ladies of her generation, and was known for her comic timing and her dancing skills, a great asset in the song-and-dance melodramas that are a staple of mainstream Indian cinema.

She was considered one of the first female superstars of Bollywood with broad appeal across India for her appearances in regional language films. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour in 2013.

Here she is in one of her signature song-and-dance films, 1983's Himmatwala: 

Her acting career began as a child in regional cinema in India's south and she made her debut in Hindi-language Bollywood films in the late '70s.

Her most famous films included Mr India, in which she played a reporter, and Chandni, where she played a woman choosing between two men who loved her. She played dual roles of a woman and her daughter in Lamhe, or Moments in 1991.

After her marriage to film producer Boney Kapoor, the Bollywood star, who is survived by her husband and two daughters, stopped acting for several years but made a well-received comeback in 2012 with English Vinglish, a movie about a middle-aged woman learning English.

The tributes

India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted condolences from the official PMOIndia account:

Here are some of the other tributes posted to Twitter by Bollywood stars:

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There's a huge Bollywood wedding happening in Ras Al Khaimah right now

Ras Al Khaimah's big Bollywood wedding - more pictures and video