Sridevi's body to be brought to India in private jet, early evening funeral in Mumbai today

India’s first female superstar Sridevi, who died due to cardiac arrest at a hotel in Dubai, is likely to be cremated in Mumbai today. 

According to an IANS report, industrialist Anil Ambani has sent his private jet to bring back the body of the megastar to India. 

Embraer-135BJ, a 13-seater private jet, which belongs to Reliance Transport and Travel Ltd reportedly left for Dubai on Sunday afternoon.

Though there’s no official confirmation from Sridevi’s family or friends, the funeral is likely to take place in Mumbai today.

The body will be ready for repatriation by 1 to 2pm, Dubai time, Khaleej Times reported.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri and Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, Indian Consulate representatives were coordinating with Dubai Police and other authorities concerned. However, the procedures to sent her body to India could not be completed on Sunday before office hours in local departments.

The Chandni fame actor, who was staying at Dubai’s Jumeirah Emirates Tower hotel, suffered at stroke and fainted in the bathroom. There are reports that she was rushed to Rashid Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

The Padma Shri winner was in Dubai to attend the wedding of her nephew Mohit Marwah. Her beautiful pictures from the wedding showed the actor enjoying the celebrations. 

It was her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor, who confirmed the news. Sridevi’s sudden demise sent shockwaves across India. Fans have been thronging her Andheri residence in Mumbai to pay ruich tributes to their beloved actor.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and host of other Bollywood celebrities took to Twitter to mourn her untimely death.

Sridevi, 54, was an actor par excellence. She had worked in over 300 films. In a career spanning for over five decades, Sridevi won accolades for her scintillating performances in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayali films. 

A brilliant combination of dance, drama and superb comic timing, Sridevi was a powerhouse of acting. The diva, who worked on her own terms, is known as the first female superstar of India. In an ultra male-dominated film industry, it was Sridevi’s sheer talent that forced the directors to give female stars role beyond just a glamour quotient. 

Her white churidaars in Chandni became a fashion statement of all time. Her nuanced performance in Lamhe portraying the double role of a mother and a daughter showed that Sridevi was not just a beautiful face with beguiling eyes.