MUMBAI: Thousands of heartbroken fans and Bollywood actors paid their last respects to Indian superstar Sridevi Kapoor on Wednesday following her shock death from accidental drowning in a Dubai hotel bathtub aged just 54.

Huge crowds of mourners — some carrying roses, others holding photos of the late actress — lined Mumbai’s streets to see their beloved idol embark on her last journey.

At one point police had to use batons to force back those unable to get into the hall where her body was laid out, wrapped in the Indian flag.

“It’s a shock to believe that she is no more. We want to pay her one last visit today and thank her for all her wonderful performances,” 32-year-old teacher Nandini Rao said as she queued at the condolence event.

After a public service, Sridevi’s flower-bedecked funeral cortege made its way slowly to a crematorium.

Bollywood stars, including actresses Aishwarya Rai and Kajol, were among the mourners at the Celebration Sports Club in the Andheri West area of Mumbai — the home of the Hindi film industry.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2018