A picture of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor is put up outside her residence in Mumbai on February 26, 2018, following her death. Punit Paranjpe / AFP
A picture of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor is put up outside her residence in Mumbai on February 26, 2018, following her death. Punit Paranjpe / AFP
A picture of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor is put up outside her residence in Mumbai on February 26, 2018, following her death. Punit Paranjpe / AFP
A picture of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor is put up outside her residence in Mumbai on February 26, 2018, following her death. Punit Paranjpe / AFP

Sridevi dies in Dubai: timeline


Ramola Talwar Badam
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February 19 to 21:

Sridevi and family are in Ras Al Khaimah for the wedding celebrations of her nephew Mohit Marwah to Antara Motiwala held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.

Photos and videos on social media show a smiling actress participating in the festivities with her relatives.

Thursday, February 22:

The family check in to Emirates Towers hotel in Dubai for a few days.

  • Mourners gather outside the residence of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor in Mumbai. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
    Mourners gather outside the residence of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor in Mumbai. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
  • People gather outside the residence of Indian Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor in Mumbai following her death in Dubai. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
    People gather outside the residence of Indian Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor in Mumbai following her death in Dubai. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
  • Sridevi died late on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had been attending her nephew's wedding. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
    Sridevi died late on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had been attending her nephew's wedding. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
  • Indian women gather outside the residence of Bollywood actress Sridevi . Many have travelled hundreds of kilometres to catch a glimpse of the actress before she is buried. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
    Indian women gather outside the residence of Bollywood actress Sridevi . Many have travelled hundreds of kilometres to catch a glimpse of the actress before she is buried. Punit Paranjpe / AFP Photo
  • Several Bollywood celebrities visited Anil Kapoor's residences in Bollywood to pay their respects including: film director Farha Khan. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
    Several Bollywood celebrities visited Anil Kapoor's residences in Bollywood to pay their respects including: film director Farha Khan. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
  • Indian Bollywood flm director Karan Johar. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
    Indian Bollywood flm director Karan Johar. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
  • Indian politician Amar Singh. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
    Indian politician Amar Singh. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
  • Indian Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khani. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
    Indian Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khani. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
  • Actor Farhan Akhtar. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
    Actor Farhan Akhtar. Sujit Jaiswal / AFP Photo
  • Bollywood actress and politician Jayaprada . AFP Photo
    Bollywood actress and politician Jayaprada . AFP Photo
  • Tabbu. AFP Photo
    Tabbu. AFP Photo
  • Actress Madhuri Dixit. AFP Photo
    Actress Madhuri Dixit. AFP Photo

Saturday, February 24 evening:

Sridevi’s body is found in a bathtub of the hotel. The actress was believed to have died of a cardiac arrest but forensic reports later reveal that she ‘accidentally drowned’ after losing consciousness.

Medical emergency staff pronounce her dead in the hotel late on Saturday night.

Her body is taken to Rashid Hospital and then to the Rashid Hospital mortuary.

Sunday, February 25:

Some members of Sridevi’s family, who returned to Mumbai after the wedding festivities, return to Dubai on Sunday following news of her death.

Sanjay Kapoor, the younger brother of Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s brother-in-law, says the family is in a state of shock and heartbroken. He says he was unaware of an existing heart problem.

Police record statements from Boney Kapoor and the hotel staff on Sunday morning.

Dubai Police say this is part of “normal procedure to determine the circumstances related to the death of the actress.”

Boney Kapoor sends out a statement saying he and his daughters Jhanvi and Khushi were “deeply bereaved and shocked with the untimely loss of Sridevi Kapoor".

A postmortem examination is completed by Dubai Police's forensic team on Sunday evening. But Sridevi's body cannot be released to her family until police receive all test reports from the forensic team.

Tributes are posted on social media in memory of an actress described as the country’s first female superstar. From India’s Prime Minister to industrialists and Bollywood stars, film lovers in the sub-continent and overseas remember an actress who left an impact across the country.

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Sridevi dies in Dubai

Sridevi's body and family en route to India ahead of funeral

VIDEO and PICTURES: Sridevi's last days in the UAE

Why every Bollywood fan will mourn Sridevi

Mohit Marwah marries Antara Motiwala in Ras Al Khaimah

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Monday, February 26:

Fans gather outside Sridevi’s home, light candles, leave flowers and movie posters to pay their respects.

Sridevi’s colleagues visit the home of actor Anil Kapoor, Sridevi’s brother-in-law and  Boney Kapoor’s brother to express their condolence.

Dubai Police on Monday afternoon confirm the cause of Sridevi’s death as ‘accidental drowning.’

“Following the completion of post-mortem analysis,” Dubai Police say in a tweet. “The death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness.”

The case is transferred to Dubai Public Prosecution to carry out legal procedures.

Legal experts on Monday evening say that since the autopsy is complete, there was no reason for Sridevi’s body to remain in the morgue and would be handed over to the family as soon as the clearance was obtained from the prosecution.

Tuesday, February 27:

Sridevi’s step-son actor Arjun Kapoor arrives in Dubai on Tuesday morning to support his father Boney Kapoor to help with the journey home.

Indian consulate confirms on Tuesday afternoon that Dubai Police have handed over letters for the release of Sridevi’s body to proceed to embalming.

Dubai Public Prosecution approves handing over of her body to her family “following the completion of a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of her death,” Dubai Media office confirms on Twitter.

“Dubai Public Prosecution stressed that all regular procedures followed in such cases have been completed. As per the forensic report, the death of the Indian actress occurred due to accidental drowning following loss of consciousness. The case has now been closed.”

Family returns with Sridevi’s body home to Mumbai, India on a private jet on Tuesday evening.

The cremation will take place on Wednesday evening in a Mumbai suburb.