Sridevi’s (OUR CHANDANI) final journey:Family, friends came together to give the star

Sridevi and Shah Rukh Khan were paired in 1996 film Army. Sridevi's last appearance (posthumous) would be in SRK's forthcoming film Zero, which also stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.

On Wednesday morning, a condolence meet was held at Celebrations Sports Complex, Lokhandwala, where several of her Bollywood colleagues had arrived to get a last glimpse of the actress. Rekha, Sushmita Sen, Shahid Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kajol, Ajay Devgn among others came to pay their homage to India's first female superstar.

After Sridevi's funeral, her family issued a statement requesting to let her family grieve in private. "The past few days have been trying times for us as a family. Today, particularly, has been one of the hardest. We laid to rest a beautiful soul who has gone too soon. She leaves behind a legacy that is unique. Her talent was undeniable, her beauty unmatched and her ability to connect with the audience was legendary. Sri had the same connect with her family as well," read an excerpt from the statement, posted on social media by Sridevi's family, including brother-in-law Anil Kapoor, nieces Sonam and Rhea, nephews Harshvradhan, Mohit Marwah and other family members.


SRK twitter
How can one not just feel love & beauty & be grateful for a life that became a part of yours in some small way by making it prettier....isn’t it just easier to feel love & give towards that life, even in death...the comfort of appreciation and gratitude.
Sridevi 'looked like a sleeping beauty', says social worker who helped with repatriation of Sridevi's body from Dubai

Ashraf Thamarassery was among the handful of people who saw Sridevi for the last time before her mortal remains were embalmed and taken to Mumbai in a private jet on Tuesday. "She looked like she was sleeping peacefully ... a sleeping beauty," 44-year-old Ashraf, from Kozhikode district in north Kerala, said.

He said the 54-year-old Bollywood icon's face did not look much different than how he had seen her on screen and in photographs. There was no wound on her head as reported by a section of the media, he said.

Ashraf is known as the 'Friend of the Dead' in the UAE for assisting the repatriation of over 4,700 bodies of expatriates from across the world during the past 18 years. He offers his service free of cost. Ashraf said he was among the few who were present at the embalming room.

Sridevi was wrapped in three white cotton sheets. She was taken in an ordinary wooden coffin that costs Dh 1,840 (approx Rs 32,000), Ashraf, who owns a garage in Ajman, said. The embalming certificate issued by the Dubai Health Authority bears Ashraf's name.

Sridevi cremated; Boney Kapoor perfomed last rites

?Bollywood diva Sridevi was cremated with full state honours, mourned by millions of fans, at the Vile Parle crematorium.

Sridevi's filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor performed the last rites at the  ceremony. The couple's daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi, were by his side, said sources close to the family. The actor's body was brought to the crematorium in an open, flower-bedecked hearse.

Sridevi’s passing away is still to sink in. Now, new details have emerged about how her family and friends came together to make sure she received a send-off worth her stature.

According to a DNA article, Sridevi’s family and friends chipped in to make her last moments memorable. The cousin of Anil Kapoor’s wife Sunita, Poonam decorated Green Acres, the residence of Sridevi.

If we didn’t see Salman Khan among the steady stream of mourners including celebrities, the reason could be that he visited the family in the night. The article adds, “The crowd outside the building was sad. Of course, it got boisterous when Salman Khan arrived... even a sombre occasion can never dictate the mood of a mob.”

We are informed that Anil Ambani is the newest relative of the Kapoors as his niece Antara Motiwala recently got married to Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s nephew, Mohit Marwah on February 20 in Dubai.

Anil took charge of the preparations, the article says. “Anil Ambani, the newest relative of the Kapoor family, took charge like he always does. And his arrangements were perfect. Earlier, the prayer meetings, which he had organised for Amitabh Bachchan’s mother, Teji Bachchan, and Karan Johar’s dad, Yash Johar, had gone like clockwork.”

“Here, too, the industrialist planned everything meticulously. He sent his 13-seater private jet to Dubai to bring back Sri’s mortal remains. Once his plane arrived in Mumbai, the diva’s immediate family like Anil and Sunita Kapoor got to see her at the green corridor itself. As Sridevi’s body was taken from the airport to her residence, he was in one of the first cars, ensuring that everything went smoothly,” the report said.