The actor's body was brought to the crematorium in a procession from the Celebrations Sports Club in Lokhandwala. A tall, air-conditioned truck, fully decorated with white flowers -- her favourite colour -- carried mortal remains of the actress.
Among the prominent personalities who attended the funeral in Vile Parle were Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Randhir Kapoor and others who came to bid a final goodbye to Sridevi.
Sridevi’s mortal remains were kept at the Celebration Sports Club, seven kilometers away from her residence Green Acres in Lokhandwala, where a prayer was performed at the hall before taking the actor's body for the last rites. A giant photograph of the much-loved actor edged with white flowers was put up outside the club.
The body of Sridevi began its 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 from Celebration Sports Club.
Thousands of people walked along with the hearse as it left the venue for the crematorium. There was a sea of people as far as the eye could see.
Thousands of grieving fans had gathered in Mumbai since early morning to pay respects to Sridevi, 54, who had drowned accidentally in a Dubai hotel bathtub on late Saturday night. Sridevi's body was flown home late Tuesday night in a private plane owned by industrialist Anil Ambani.
All that happened on Wednesday:
- Sridevi cremated with full state honours as the entire nation bids an emotional farewell to the 'chandni' of Bollywood.
- Last rites ceremony of Sridevi begins at Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium in Mumbai.
- Bollywood celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan arrive at the crematorium where Sridevi will be cremated with full state honours.
- Mortal remains of Sridevi reach Vile Parle crematorium with thousands of her fans are standing outside to bid farewell to India's Chandni.
- Maharashtra government has accorded full state honours for the funeral of Sridevi which included draping her body in the national Tricolour, elaborate arrangements by the Mumbai Police, and a gun salute before the cremation.
- Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor, her daughters Khushi and Jhanvi, Arjun Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor are among those travelling in the truck with the body.
- The actor's mortal remains are draped in a red kanjivaram sari with a bindi on her forehead.
People gather in large number to pay their respect during the funeral procession of actor Sridevi in Mumbai on Wednesday. PTI Photo
The actress, 54, died on Saturday in Dubai, where she had gone to attend the wedding ceremony of his nephew. When the reports of her demise first surfaced, it was said the actress died of cardiac arrest.
Later it was established that the actress died of "accidental drowning" in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness.
Dubai Public Prosecutors Office had on Tuesday closed the investigation in the case and said she died of accidental drowning following the loss of consciousness.
Three days after the actor was found dead in her room at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel, the family was finally given custody of her body on Tuesday.