Bollywood’s 1st female superstar danced way to top
NEW DELHI — Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of the 1980s and ’90s who redefined stardom for actresses in India, has died at age 54.
The actress was described as the first female superstar in India’s maledominated film industry. She used one name onscreen, like many leading ladies of her generation, and was known for her comic timing and her dancing skills, a great asset in the song-and-dance melodramas that are a staple of mainstream Indian cinema.
Sridevi Kapoor died Saturday in Dubai due to cardiac arrest, her brother-inlaw Sanjay Kapoor confirmed to Indian Express online. She had been in Dubai to attend a wedding in her extended family.
Indian political leaders and entertainers posted condolences and recollections of her work, with many colleagues and fans expressing shock at the sudden news.
“Woken up to this tragic news. Absolute shock. Sad,” tweeted Rishi Kapoor, her co-star in the 1989 film “Chandni,” or “Moonlight,” in which Sridevi played a woman choosing between two loves.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered condolences. “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,” he tweeted.
Sridevi began acting as a child in regional cinema in India’s south and made her debut in Hindi-language Bollywood films in the late ’70s.
Other famous roles included “Mr. India,” in which she played a reporter, and “Lamhe,” or “Moments,” a 1991 film in which she played dual roles of mother and teenage daughter. She stopped acting for several years after her marriage to film producer Boney Kapoor but made a wellreceived comeback in 2012 with “English Vinglish,” about a middle-aged woman learning English to fit in better with her family.
She is survived by her husband and two daughters.