Bollywood superstar Sridevi Kapoor, who died in Dubai at the weekend aged 54, drowned in her hotel bathtub after passing out, Dubai police said Monday.
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"The death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness," the Dubai police tweeted, citing a post-mortem.
They added that the case had been handed to the public prosecutor’s office, "which will carry out regular legal procedures."
Initial reports had cited a heart attack as the cause of her death.
Bollywood stars, sporting giants and leading politicians have reacted with shock to her death.
This file photo taken on January 13, 2018 shows Indian Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor during the ’Umang Mumbai Police Show 2018’ in Mumbai. (Photo by AFP)
Sridevi -- one of the biggest names in Hindi cinema – died Saturday night in Dubai. She had been in the United Arab Emirates to attend the wedding of her nephew, Mohit Marwah.
Her body was due to be flown back to Mumbai on Monday on a charter flight.
Crowds have gathered outside Sridevi’s home in Mumbai to pay their last respects ahead of a cremation.
People gather outside the residence of Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor in Mumbai on February 26, 2018, following her death. (Photo by AFP)
Sridevi, who was at her peak in the 1980s and ’90s, was seen as the first female superstar in India’s male-dominated film industry. She was known for her impeccable comic timing as well as her dancing skills — a serious asset in country where song-and-dance melodramas are a movie staple.
Born Shree Amma Yanger Ayappan in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Sridevi appeared in around 300 films and was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, for her service to the film industry.
This file photo taken on April 5, 2013 shows then-Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (R) presenting the Padma Shree award to Indian film actress Sridevi (L) during the presentation of the "Padma Awards 2013" at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi. (Photo by AFP)
Her acting career began at the age of four and by 13 she was cast in the adult role of a woman avenging her lover’s death.
She was considered one of the very few Indian female superstars capable of huge box-office success without the support of a male hero.