Thousands turned up outside Sridevi's home in Mumbai as her body was taken for cremation (AFP)
Thousands of fans and celebrities from Bollywood were at the Celebration Sports Club in Mumbai's Lokhandwala today to catch a last glimpse of superstar Sridevi as she was cremated with state honours. She died in Dubai four days ago. After a three-day wait, her family received her body in Mumbai last night. Sridevi's body, wrapped in the national flag, was taken to Pawan Hans crematorium in a hearse decorated with flowers and huge portraits of her. Sridevi's friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry paid their last respects earlier in the day. Among them were Madhuri Dixit, Rekha, Hema Malini, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan and Aishwarya Rai. A statement from her family said the last rites would take place at Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle.
Here are the updates on Sridevi's funeral:
Thousands of fans and celebrities from Bollywood were at the Celebration Sports Club in Mumbai's Lokhandwala today to catch a last glimpse of superstar Sridevi as she was cremated with state honours.
Actor Tabu arrives at the funeral of Sridevi, who died in Dubai four days ago. Her cremation will take place in some time in Mumbai.
Police were called in to control a crowd that surged towards a Mumbai club where her body was placed for people to pay their respects. "She was in the first movie I saw in theatres. I wanted to get a last glimpse of her, but the police won't let us in," Indrayani, a woman from Sridevi's home state of Tamil Nadu, told news agency Reuters.
Thousands of people have lined up on a 5-km-long stretch in front of Sridevi's home in Mumbai. More people who did not come in the morning are likely to turn up at the funeral and the crowd is likely to swell.
Shahrukh Khan arrives at the crematorium.
Bollywood actor Preity Zinta, who couldn't pay her last respects, shared this tribute on Instagram.
The hearse has just reached the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle. The men in the Kapoor family are accompanying Sridevi's body. Husband Boney Kapoor, brother-in-law and former co-star Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and others have gone inside the crematorium premises.
A prayer meet in Sridevi's remembrance is to be held in the next few days.
The funeral will be a private ceremony with only Sridevi's family members and close friends attending.
Farewell, Sridevi. A flower for his favourite star.
Hearse carrying Sridevi's casket, surrounded by thousands of fans, reaching the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle.
A prayer was performed at the hall before taking Sridevi's body for the last rites.
Glass Casket For Sridevi, Mourners Say Goodbye With Tears And FlowersCarrying flowers and posters, teary-eyed fans stood in queue for a last glimpse of the actor, whose sudden death shocked the country on Sunday. Inside the Celebration Sports Club complex, Sridevi lay in a transparent casket, draped in a gorgeous red and gold Kanjeevaram, garlanded with roses. Longtime friend Rani Mukherjee stood next to the casket.
Sridevi's daughters Jahnvi and Khushi, and her husband Boney Kapoor, along with other family members, beside her body which was wrapped in the national flag.
Sridevi's, body lying in state, is wrapped in tricolour.
Family members, including Arjun Kapoor, are seen travelling with the cortege carrying Sridevi on her final journey.
Sridevi's funeral procession begins.
Thousands of heartbroken fans lined the streets of Mumbai to say goodbye to Sridevi.
Sridevi's body will leave for the Vile Parle crematorium after a puja.
Rekha, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan, Manish Malhotra, Shahid Kapoor and wife Mira pay their last respects to Sridevi.
Hema Malini: Paid my last respects to Sridevi. The entire industry was there grieving, some on the verge of breakdown. Such was her aura & magic in films. She lay there, beautiful in a red saree, serene in death & totally at peace.
Sridevi is draped in magenta pink and golden border saree. A red bindi dots her forehead.
Sridevi to be cremated with state honours. Mumbai Police band reaches Celebrations Sports Club.
"We were there even at Anil Kapoor's bungalow earlier and will not leave Mumbai without seeing our idol(Sridevi)," news agency PTI quoted a fan waiting in the line.
Nearly 200 policemen are present at the venue to keep the crowd in check.
Sridevi was felicitated with India's fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in 2013
School children in Chennai pay tributes to Sridevi. The 54-year-old, who made her film debut when she just four, was already a celebrated queen of the silver screen in south Indian cinema much before she made her foray into Bollywood and conquered hearts.
Holi celebrations have been cancelled at 'Green Acres' society, where Sridevi lived: news agency ANI.
These celebs were among the first to reach the Mumbai venue to pay their last respects to Sridevi
- Aishwarya Rai
- Tabu
- Sushmita Sen
- Hema Malini
- Esha Deol
- Farah Khan
- Nimrat Kaur
- Arbaaz Khan
- Urvashi Rautela
- Kumaramangalam Birla
- Jaya Bachchan
- Shweta Bachchan Nanda
- Madhuri Dixit
Shiv Sena's youth wing president Aditya Thackeray at Celebration Sports Club.
Hema Malini and daughter Esha Deol at Celebration Sports Club to pay last respects to Sridevi. "The whole film industry is trying to come to terms with this tragedy. We have lost a wonderful member whose life has been dedicated to the entertainment field for so many decades. It is only right that we be allowed to grieve in peace," Hema Malini had tweeted yesterday.
Sridevi's brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor and niece Rhea Kapoor and nephew Harshvardhan Kapoor reach Celebration Sports Club.
People queue up outside the venue to pay tributes to Sridevi.
Filmmaker Farah Khan Sonam Kapoor arrive at Celebrations Sports Club.
Sridevi was known to share close bonds with her daughters Janhvi and Khushi. Last year, she told NDTV that Janhvi often styled her for public appearances. "We're like friends, sharing each other's thoughts and it's really fun to get ready. She is always there for me," the actress had said. The hands-on mother accompanied Jahnvi to the sets of the 20-year-old debut film
Dhadak.
It's media job to ask questions, it's people's call if they want to throw it in the dustbin or not. At this moment, the family is in a lot of pain. The daughters have lost their mother at such a young age. We should pray for them: Annu Kapoor at Celebration Sports Club in Mumbai
A number of Bollywood stars are expected to reach the venue to bid farewell to Sridevi. Designer Manish Malhotra is overseeing the arrangements at the sports complex.
The venue would be opened for fans in a short while from now for fans to pay their last respects. Sridevi's family members have gone inside the sports complex where is body has been kept.
Actor Arbaz Khan arrives the venue in Mumbai to pay last respects to Sridevi.
Sridevi's ancestral home in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi: ANI
Sridevi's body has been brought in to the Celebrations Sports Club in Mumbai.
Sridevi acted in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam movies before scripting a soaring career in Bollywood. A 15-year break from movies followed her marriage to Boney Kapoor. Sridevi returned in 2012 with the smash-hit "English Vinglish". She followed it up with the thriller "Mom". She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film - "Zero" - which releases in December.
Sridevi fans outside Celebrations Sports Club in Mumbai's Lokhandwala.
Sridevi's body will be taken from her home to Celebrations Sports Club between 8:30 am and 9 am.
- Condolences and last respects: 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
Celebration Sports Club, Garden No 5, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, Mumbai
- Cremation: 3:30 pm onwards
Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery, Next to Pawan Hans, SV Road, Vile Parle West, Mumbai
There was frenzied speculation in certain sections of media over the cause of Sridevi's death in Dubai. India's envoy to the United Arab Emirates, Navdeep Suri, had suggested that "we leave it to the experts to determine cause of demise. Let's be responsible."
Fans have started gathering outside Mumbai's Celebration Sports Club, where Sridevi's body will be kept for people to pay tributes. Heavy security has been deployed.
Sridevi's body is now at her 'Green Acres' home in Lokhandwala. Tight security is in place as fans waited outside the gates all night.
This truck, covered in white cloth, will take Sridevi on her final journey later today.
Sridevi Is Home, Final Farewell, Funeral In Mumbai Today: 10 PointsSridevi's husband Boney Kapoor, brothers-in-law Sanjay Kapoor and Sandeep Marwah, sister-in-law Reena Marwah and stepson Arjun Kapoor were on the chartered jet which brought her body from Dubai to Mumbai. Hundreds of fans had waited outside the Kapoor residence in Lokhandwala as the ambulance carrying Sridevi drove in from the airport with a police escort.