Sridevi's final journey: Boney Kapoor performs last rites; actor cremated with state honours

Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor performed the last rites, while their daughters stood by his side. 

According to reports, Sridevi's funeral procession was one of the largest recorded in Mumbai. The other big funerals from the film industry includes the funeral processions of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi, Rajesh Khanna, Raj Kapoor and Vinod Khanna.

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Thousands of mourners thronged Sridevi's cortege as it made its way from the Celebrations Sports Club to Vile Parle crematorium. The actress was taken in a hearse covered in white flowers. The superstar was also given a gun salute at the club where her body was kept for her fans to pay their last respect.

Outside the Vile Parle crematorium a sea of her fans have gathered to see her for the last time.

 

Bollywood celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, Anupam Kher, Dia Mirza, as well as Anil Ambani have arrived at the crematorium.

 

 

Sridevi's mortal remains have been wrapped in the Tricolour and she is being cremated with state honours. Her daughters and husband can be seen by her side. According to reports, fans were breaking down as the beloved actor started her last journey. Sridevi was dressed in her favourite red and golden Kanjeevaram saree.

Meanwhile, a crowd of around 7,000 fans had accumulated outside the Celebrations Sports Club, where her body was kept for fans to pay their last respects. The grown eventually got unmanageable and fans were not let in after 12 pm. Around 500 police personnel were deployed outside the premises. Eventually the police had to lathi charge to manage the crowd, according to Hindustan Times.

The iconic actor, Sridevi's mortal remains were flown in from Dubai last night. Fans and colleagues have been paying their last respects to the actor at Mumbai's Celebrations Sports Club, where the body has been kept and the condolence meet is scheduled to continue till 12:30 pm.  The actress will be cremated with state honours. Sridevi was attending her nephew's Mohit Marwah's wedding in Dubai with her husband Boney Kapoor and youngest daughter Khushi. While the festivities were over by February 20, Sridevi extended her trip by a few days. Boney Kapoor who had left for Mumbai, went back to Dubai to surprise her. After he reached the hotel and met his wife, the couple planned to go out for dinner. The actress went to the washroom to freshen up, where she was found motionless in the bathtub.

Speculations have been running rife about the cause of death. While various media reports said it was a fatal cardiac arrest, the Dubai Public Prosecution cited "accidental drowning" as the cause of death and closed the case.

Her untimely demise has rattled the nation and fans and colleagues have been pouring in their condolence messages. Celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Waheeda Rahman have been visiting Anil Kapoor's residence to console the bereaved family. The Kapoor family today issued a statement and thanked "the film fraternity, media, fans of late Sridevi Kapoor and all the well-wishers for their prayers, support and sensitivity during our moment of immense grief," according to a report in India Today. "We request you to kindly join us in paying our last respect to a remarkable actor, beloved wife and loving mother," read the statement.

The superstar's final journey will commence after fans pay their last respects and her mortal remains will be taken to the Seva Samaj Crematorium in Vile Parle. Her funeral will take place from 3:30 pm - 5 pm.