The state government decides who is accorded a state honour
The Maharashtra government has made arrangements to cremate the Sridevi with state honours. The veteran actor was given a gun salute at the Celebration Sports Club, minutes away from her home in Green Acres Lokhandwala where her body was kept before leaving for its last journey on Wednesday.
But who decides who is entitled to a state funeral?
Traditionally, it is only the current and former prime ministers, current and former Union ministers and current and former state ministers who are entitled to a state funeral.
But with time, the rules have changed. These days, it's on the state government to decide the who will be accorded a state funeral. The government takes into consideration the contribution made by the deceased person to the state in various fields like politics, literature, law, science and cinema.
Visuals from Vile Parle crematorium where Sridevi's mortal remains have reached
Sea of mourners as Sridevi cortege winds through Mumbai
Wrapped in tricolour, Indian cinema icon Sridevi today began her final journey with thousands of mourners jostling with each other to catch a glimpse of her cortege as it slowly made its way through the city to the Vile Parle crematorium.
The body of the 54-year-old, who died in Dubai on Saturday, was taken in a hearse that was covered with white flowers, the colour of mourning.
Sridevi, Indian cinema's first woman superstar, was given a gun salute at the Celebration Sports Club, minutes away from her home in Green Acres Lokhandwala where her body was kept before leaving for its last journey. Her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor, stepson Arjun Kapoor and other family members were with the body as it left the building.
As crowds mobbed the vehicle — with some climbing on trees and clambering on gates to get a better look — Arjun Kapoor requested them with folded hands to let the funeral procession pass through.
Thousands of people walked along with the hearse as it left the venue for the crematorium, about seven kilometres away. There was a sea of people as far as the eye could see.
PTI
Fans share how much Sridevi Kapoor has had an impact on their lives
Watch: Visuals from outside Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium
Video courtesy: in.com
Sridevi's mortal remains expected to arrive at Vile Parle ground shortly, reports NDTV
Meet Ashraf Thamarassery, Kerala-origin 'ferryman', who helped with paperwork for repatriation of Sridevi's body
Away from the cameras' flash and the eyes of her millions of fans in India, the actress Sridevi's body made its way to a simple mortuary in the United Arab Emirates, where one man helped sign out her remains to return home.
Listed only as "ASHRAF" on the official paperwork in Dubai is Ashraf "Sherry" Thamarassery, a 44-year-old Indian from Kerala who has become a ferryman of sorts for those who die in the UAE.
Police at Celebration Sports Club resorts to lathicharge
Hindustan Times is reporting that the police at the Celebration Sports Club has resorted to lathi charge to control the crowd at the spot.
Sridevi's Telugu roles reflect her unparalleled journey
Starting her career in the Telugu film industry, Sridevi's transformation from child prodigy to legend was simply marvellous. She won the film fraternity and audience alike with her stellar roles alongside legendary Telugu hero Akkineni Nageshwara Rao.
Sridevi's death marks a funeral of sorts for the Hindi cinema she helped add new dimensions to
Anybody who has seen Sridevi being interviewed, presumably by a Rajeev Masand or an Anupama Chopra, would remember her characteristically cold, distant giggling after answering a painstakingly worded question so insufficiently that one would wonder if she were really an actor.
Overwhelming to see the love and respect for Sridevi: Sushmita Sen
Rows & rows of people standing in queues for hours, some with flowers, others with pictures, it was overwhelming to see d love & respect for Ma’am Sridevi🙏 both richly deserved & generously showered! A celebrated life indeed❤️ #prayermeet
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. 😢
If 1/10th of the time that the news media spent on creating a mystery out of Sridevi's tragic death was spent on talking about Justice Loya's case, it would perhaps have benefitted the nation. But when benefitting channel TRPs is the only goal....
Sidharth Malhotra, Deepika Padukone pay last respects
Video courtesy: IN.com
Ugliness created by speculators will be burnt to ashes: Shekhar Kapur
.. and finally as #Sridevi takes her last journey tomorrow from her home to the cremation ground , all the ugliness created by speculators will be burnt to ashes too. One day we will look back ourselves and ask, why are we so ghoulish? Were these really fans that loved her?
Actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan, with daughter Shweta Nanda, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, has arrived at Mumbai's Celebration Club.
Sridevi funeral latest update: Sridevi's mortal remains were brought to the Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium as sea of mourners thronged to the procession route on Wednesday.Sridevi's mortal remains, wrapped in tricolour, were given state honours and taken for cremation.Police at the Celebration Sports Club had to resort to lathicharge to control the crowd present at the spot.
Bollywood is not too happy about the way Indian media covered Sridevi's demise. Many Bollywood celebrities lashed out at the media over the issue.
The deceased actor will be cremated with state honours. Bollywood celebrities like Sidharth Malhotra, Deepika Padukone, Shabana Azmi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Tabu, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Jaya Bachchan, Shekar Kapur and Farah Khan arrived at Lokhandwala's Celebration Sports Club to pay their last respects to Sridevi. Fans have also lined up to pay their last respects to the deceased actor.
The body of Bollywood icon Sridevi, whose sudden death triggered a frenzy of grief, disbelief and searching questions, was flown back to Mumbai on Tuesday after Dubai authorities determined that she had accidentally drowned in her hotel bathtub.
Family members, including her film-maker husband Boney Kapoor and stepson Arjun Kapoor, brought her body in a private jet after three days of uncertainty over her unexpected death on Saturday in Dubai.
Earlier on Tuesday, Dubai Public Prosecutor's Office put an end to speculation about the cause of her death, saying she accidentally drowned in the bathtub following loss of consciousness, and that the "case was now closed".
It did not say what caused the 54-year-old superstar to lose consciousness.
File image of Sridevi. Wikimedia Commons
The Embraer jet, owned by industrialist Anil Ambani, landed in Mumbai around 9.30 pm and the cremation is scheduled for Wednesday around 3.30 pm.
Anil Ambani, wife Tina Ambani and Anil Kapoor were among those at the airport when the plane landed.
The mortal remains were then taken to the Lokhandwala residence of the Kapoors where several police personnel along with a host of private security men were deployed for crowd management.
As the ambulance carrying Sridevi's mortal remains entered her residence in suburban Andheri, a large number of fans jostled for a glimpse of their favourite actor.
Both sides of the road leading to Sridevi's 'Green Acres' residence in Lokhandwala were crowded with her fans, with some even climbing the trees to have a clear view.
The ambulance, escorted by three police vehicles, brought the body home from the airport at around 10:30 pm soon after it arrived from Dubai.
Designer Manish Malhotra, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar were among those who visited the residence soon after the arrival of the body.
Sridevi, known as Indian cinema's first woman superstar, leaves behind her husband and their two daughters Jahnvi and Khushi.
"On behalf of Khushi, Janhvi, Boney Kapoor, the entire Kapoor and Ayyappan families, a sincere thanks to the media for your continued sensitivity and support during this emotional moment," a statement by the family said.
The 54-year-old Bollywood icon was in Dubai to attend a family wedding. Her death sent shock waves across India with those who knew her at a loss to explain how the star could die so suddenly.
At first, it was reported that she died of cardiac arrest, triggering questions and disbelief. However, it later emerged that she had drowned in the bathtub in her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel.
As more speculation swirled, the Dubai government's media office said in a series of tweets that the case is now closed.
"Dubai Public Prosecution has approved the release of the body of the Indian actress Sridevi to her family following the completion of a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of her death," it said.
"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."
In its statement, the family said her body will be kept at Celebration Sports Club in Lokhandwala near her home for people to pay their last respects from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm on Wednesday before it is taken for cremation.
The family said media can also pay their respects "provided camera, recording devices, etc are left outside the venue".
"The last journey will commence at 2 pm from Celebration Sports Club to Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery," it said.
While Sridevi had stayed back in Dubai after the ceremonies, her husband Boney Kapoor had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi. But he returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times newspaper. Arjun Kapoor reached Dubai this morning to be with his father.
In Mumbai, industry insiders and friends visited the family in the home of actor Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor's younger brother. With their father away, Khushi and Jahnvi were at their uncle's Juhu home.
"For me it's the most painful thing I have dealt with after my dad's passing away. And her face is coming in front of me again and again," actor Rani Mukherji told PTI.
"The love she had for me was so tremendous and intense that I feel somewhere that I have lost a guiding light in my life. She has been my inspiration personally and professionally. She was very close to me. She was like my 'maasi' I would say. She was someone I looked up to. I just feel there is one more person I have lost in my life I loved and who loved me back," Rani said.
The others who have called on the family in their hour of grief include Shah Rukh Khan, and his wife Gauri, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Tabu, Rekha and Farah Khan.
Published Date: Feb 28, 2018 16:03 PM
| Updated Date: Feb 28, 2018 16:07 PM
