Legendary actress Sridevi is no more. She passed away following a cardiac arrest late on Saturday, 24 February, in Dubai, where she was attending the marriage of her nephew Mohit Marwah.

Reacting to her death, President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted:

Advertisement

“Shocked to hear of passing of movie star Sridevi. She has left millions of fans heartbroken. Her performances in films such as Moondram Pirai, Lamhe and English Vinglish remain an inspiration for other actors. My condolences to her family and close associates,” wrote the President.

Shocked to hear of passing of movie star Sridevi. She has left millions of fans heartbroken. Her performances in films such as Moondram Pirai, Lamhe and English Vinglish remain an inspiration for other actors. My condolences to her family and close associates #PresidentKovind

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 25, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, took to Twitter to offer his condolences. He wrote: “Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace.”

Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 25, 2018

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, too, offered condolences on Sridevi’s demise: “Shocked to hear about the sudden and untimely death of one of India’s favourite actress, Sridevi. Sridevi was an incredibly talented and versatile actress whose vast body of work spanned a range of genres and languages. My condolences to her family. May her soul rest in peace.”

Untimely Demise of versatile actor #Sridevi  Is Shocking Her contribution to Field of cinema in all languages is unparallel and will be remembered for generations to come. My condolences to her family and countless admirers. pic.twitter.com/DMCXdpSeCl

— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSBJP) February 25, 2018

Ministers and other names from the world of politics expressed their shock at the news.

Shocked and pained at the untimely demise of iconic actor #Sridevi. It’s a void that Bollywood will find hard to fill. The memories of her great performances will remain forever in our hearts. RIP #Sridevi.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 25, 2018

नहीं रही बॉलीवुड की चाँदनी.
Deeply saddened to hear about the untimely demise of legendary actress #Sridevi . Her contribution to Indian film industry shall be always remembered. May her soul rest in eternal peace. Condolences to the family. 🙏

— Dr. Mahesh Sharma (@dr_maheshsharma) February 25, 2018

Shocked and deeply saddened to know about the sudden demise of #Sridevi ji.May God give her family and well wishers the strength to bear this loss. May her soul rest in peace. My sincere condolences

— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) February 25, 2018

Saddened by the untimely demise of actress #Sridevi. Through versatile performances in her entire career she touched the hearts of millions of people. My deepest condolences to the family and fans.

— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 25, 2018

Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of versatile actor #Sridevi. Her contribution to Hindi cinema is unparallel and will be remembered for generations to come. My condolences to her family and countless admirers.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 25, 2018

Shocked to hear about the sudden demise of #Sridevi ji, a legend of Indian Cinema. May god give peace to her soul & strength to family, friends and fans. ॐ शांति 🙏

— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) February 25, 2018

Untimely Demise of versatile actor #Sridevi Is Shocking Her contribution to Field of cinema in all languages is unparallel and will be remembered for generations to come. My condolences to her family and countless admirers. pic.twitter.com/DMCXdpSeCl

— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSBJP) February 25, 2018

Hailed as the first female superstar of Indian cinema, the demise of 54-year-old Sridevi came as a ‘sadma’ to the nation. As the news started doing the rounds early in the morning of Sunday, 25 February, celebrities posted their condolences on Twitter reacting with both shock and grief.

Honoured with the Padma Shri in 2013, Sridevi worked with nearly every top actor of her generation, including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth. A shocked film fraternity joined voices expressing their grief at her passing.

Read More: Sridevi death: Cine stars flood social media with condolences messages

While films like “Mawaali” (1983), “Tohfa” (1984), “Mr India” (1987) and “Chandni” (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings like “Sadma” (1983), “ChaalBaaz” (1989), “Lamhe” (1991), and “Gumrah” (1993) earned her critical acclaim.

She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production – “Judaai” – co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. It was director Gauri Shinde’s “English Vinglish” in 2012 that marked Sridevi’s comeback.

Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.

Her last film was the 2017 revenge-drama – “Mom” – opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna.

She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming film – “Zero” – which releases in December this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)