THE funeral procession of Bollywood actress Sridevi was one of the largest Mumbai had witnessed in recent times.
Several lakhs of people joined the actress as she made her final journey from her residence to a crematorium in Vile Parle on Wednesday (28).
Sridevi's mortal remains were taken in an open truck decorated with white flowers. She was draped in the national tricolour and her face was made up to look like a new bride.
Sridevi sported a gold and maroon Kanjeevaram sari and adorned a large necklace.
Her husband Boney Kapoor, step-son Arjun Kapoor and brothers-in-law Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor were among those who travelled with her body.
Maharashtra government accorded full state honours for Sridevi, who was conferred a Padma Shri in 2013. She also received a full gun salute before the cremation.
Students, school children and office-goers thronged the roads to get a last glimpse of the first female superstar of Indian cinema, who passed away in Dubai following accidental drowning.
Shortly after the funeral, actress Sonam Kapoor posted on her social media page a letter to her fans thanking everyone for all the love and support.
The letter said: “The past few days have been trying times for us as a family. Today, particularly, has been one of the hardest.
We laid to rest a beautiful soul who has gone too soon. She leaves behind a legacy that is unique. Her talent was undeniable, her beauty unmatched and her ability to connect with the audience was legendary.
Sri had the same connect with her family as well.
The one thing that helped us all get through these last few days, was the amazing amount of love and support from everyone — be it her many colleagues, to her innumerable fans, her caring friends and loving family, from across the country and the world.
This outpouring of love is the memory that we would like Khushi and Janhvi to have of their mother... a woman who was loved unquestionably by everyone.
Let us all who loved Sri, envelope her two little ones, her life, as she often called them, with as much or more love than we gave Sri so that they can live their lives ahead with a little less ache in their hearts.
Let us help them remember their mother fondly, with that beloved twinkle in her eyes, and help them build a life and be what Sri had dreamt for them.
To the members of the media, we ask that you respect the privacy of the family and allow us the space to grieve. Sri lived her life with dignity and we implore, that you give her the same respect”.
Sridevi, born Shree Amma Yanger Ayappan in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, appeared in around 300 films and was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for services to the movie industry.
She made her acting debut at the age of four and her career spanned more than four decades.
Sridevi worked in India’s regional Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam-language films before making her Bollywood debut in 1979.
She became a national sensation with a string of blockbuster films including Mawali and Tohfa.
Sridevi took a 15-year break from the silver screen after marrying Kapoor but returned in the 2012 hit comedy-drama English Vinglish. Her most recent film was last year’s Mom.
