State honours for Sridevi's funeral, procession is among largest recorded in Mumbai
Mumbai
February 28, 2017
Several lakhs turned up to join a long procession -- among
the largest in recent times -- to mark the final journey of actress Sridevi
which started near her residence to a crematorium in Vile Parle on Wednesday
afternoon.
A tall, open truck, fully decorated with white flowers -- her
favourite colour -- carried her body which was first draped in the national
tricolour and then loaded in a glass casket, as cries of �Sridevi Amar Rahe'
rent the air among her fans.
Maharashtra government accorded full
state honours for the funeral of Sridevi -- who was conferred a Padma Shri in
2013, which included draping her body in the national tricolour, elaborate
arrangements by the Mumbai Police and a gun salute before the cremation.
Inside the truck was Sridevi lying serene with full make-up, a large
south Indian style vermillion and wearing a ceremonial gold and maroon coloured
Kanjeevaram sari. A heavy, large necklace adorned her since she died a
�suhaagan' (still married), giving the appearance of a resplendent �devi'
(Goddess) in deep slumber.
Her grieving family members including
husband Boney Kapoor, her step-son Arjun Kapoor and brothers-in-law Anil Kapoor
and Sanjay Kapoor were among those who travelled in the truck with the body.
The truck slowly negotiated the approximately six km passing through
some of the poshest areas of Andheri and Vile Parle suburbs, with a massive
portrait of Sridevi visible from a distance.
Several lakhs of
people including students, office-goers and others accompanied or waited on both
side of the roads, looked on from buildings and bungalow terraces. Many climbed
on signals and lamp posts for a last glimpse of their beloved heroine.
In terms of sheer numbers, Sridevi's funeral is estimated to have
attracted the highest number of mourners, ranking on par with the previous
biggest funeral processions of the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi (July 1980:
around a million mourners), and India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna (July
2012: a little less than a million mourners).
The other big
funerals of non-political personalities in Mumbai included those of Raj Kapoor
(June 1988) and Vinod Khanna (April 2017).
The procession was led
by several family members, close relatives, friends and even neighbours of the
Green Acres society where the family lived in Lokhandwala Complex.
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 Sridev
Sridevi's daughters Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor
performed the final rituals before the body was consigned to the flames with
husband Boney standing nearby.
Earlier, since dawn, thousands of
teary-eyed fans and admirers of the late actress, many carrying flowers, had
queued up outside the Celebration Sports Club at Lokhandwala Complex for a final
�darshan' of their idol.
After the flower-bedecked body was
brought to the club premises a steady stream of celebrities came in their
vehicles and where whisked inside to pay their last respects.
Among the early callers seen were Rekha, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan,
Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Farah Khan, Nitin Mukesh, Neil Nitin
Mukesh, Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Madhur
Bhandarkar, Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhandsali, Jackie Shroff, Farhan
Akhtar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, John Abraham, Ajay Devgn and Kajol, Anupam
Kher and Sulabha Arya, among others.
Mumbai
February 28, 2017
Several lakhs turned up to join a long procession -- among
the largest in recent times -- to mark the final journey of actress Sridevi
which started near her residence to a crematorium in Vile Parle on Wednesday
afternoon.
A tall, open truck, fully decorated with white flowers -- her
favourite colour -- carried her body which was first draped in the national
tricolour and then loaded in a glass casket, as cries of �Sridevi Amar Rahe'
rent the air among her fans.
Maharashtra government accorded full
state honours for the funeral of Sridevi -- who was conferred a Padma Shri in
2013, which included draping her body in the national tricolour, elaborate
arrangements by the Mumbai Police and a gun salute before the cremation.
Inside the truck was Sridevi lying serene with full make-up, a large
south Indian style vermillion and wearing a ceremonial gold and maroon coloured
Kanjeevaram sari. A heavy, large necklace adorned her since she died a
�suhaagan' (still married), giving the appearance of a resplendent �devi'
(Goddess) in deep slumber.
Her grieving family members including
husband Boney Kapoor, her step-son Arjun Kapoor and brothers-in-law Anil Kapoor
and Sanjay Kapoor were among those who travelled in the truck with the body.
The truck slowly negotiated the approximately six km passing through
some of the poshest areas of Andheri and Vile Parle suburbs, with a massive
portrait of Sridevi visible from a distance.
Several lakhs of
people including students, office-goers and others accompanied or waited on both
side of the roads, looked on from buildings and bungalow terraces. Many climbed
on signals and lamp posts for a last glimpse of their beloved heroine.
In terms of sheer numbers, Sridevi's funeral is estimated to have
attracted the highest number of mourners, ranking on par with the previous
biggest funeral processions of the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi (July 1980:
around a million mourners), and India's first superstar Rajesh Khanna (July
2012: a little less than a million mourners).
The other big
funerals of non-political personalities in Mumbai included those of Raj Kapoor
(June 1988) and Vinod Khanna (April 2017).
The procession was led
by several family members, close relatives, friends and even neighbours of the
Green Acres society where the family lived in Lokhandwala Complex.
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 Sridev
Sridevi's daughters Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor
performed the final rituals before the body was consigned to the flames with
husband Boney standing nearby.
Earlier, since dawn, thousands of
teary-eyed fans and admirers of the late actress, many carrying flowers, had
queued up outside the Celebration Sports Club at Lokhandwala Complex for a final
�darshan' of their idol.
After the flower-bedecked body was
brought to the club premises a steady stream of celebrities came in their
vehicles and where whisked inside to pay their last respects.
Among the early callers seen were Rekha, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan,
Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Farah Khan, Nitin Mukesh, Neil Nitin
Mukesh, Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Madhur
Bhandarkar, Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhandsali, Jackie Shroff, Farhan
Akhtar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, John Abraham, Ajay Devgn and Kajol, Anupam
Kher and Sulabha Arya, among others.
Tags: SrideviBoney KapoorArjun KapoorArjun MathurAnil KapoorSanjay KapoorAmitabh BachchanShahrukh KhanJhanvi KapoorRekhaAishwarya RaiArbaaz KhanMadhuri DixitAkshaye KhannaTabuFarah KhanNeil Nitin MukeshVidya BalanSushmita SenShabana Azmi