India mourns Bollywood superstar Sridevi with state funeral

Thousands of fans met the coffin of late Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor on Wednesday at her funeral in Mumbai. Kapoor, who was known as the first female Bollywood superstar in a male-dominated industry, had a state funeral — an honor typically reserved only for top politicians and people of national significance.

Kapoor drowned in her Dubai hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, Dubai police said in a statement Monday. Dubai investigators on Tuesday closed the case and said it was an accidental drowning. The actress, who was just known as “Sridevi,” died late Saturday while attending a wedding in Dubai. Her brother-in-law, Sanjay Kapoor, told an Indian newspaper that she died of cardiac arrest, but two anonymous Dubai police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time. She was 54. 

Kapoor had a prolific acting career, starring in more than 300 Bollywood films, even including her 15-year hiatus after having her daughter. The actress was praised for her comic timing and her dancing. She began acting as a child, and her career spanned 50 years. Her last appearance on screen will be released later this year; she makes a cameo in the upcoming film “Zero.”