On Saturday, Bollywood great Sridevi died from an "accidental drowning" in a bathtub at a Dubai hotel, her autopsy report revealed. Sridevi, as she was mononymously known, was 54 years old.
Originally, it was reported the actor might have died from cardiac arrest, but she did not suffer from a known heart condition; so the initial report didn't sit well with Sridevi's family. "We are completely shocked. She had no history of a heart attack," her brother, Sanjay Kapoor, told Times of India on Sunday.
The media department of the Dubai government took to social media on Monday to reveal Sridevi's cause of death.
"Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, @DubaiPoliceHQ today stated that the death of Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bath following loss of consciousness," a Monday tweet from Dubai Media Office, which was translated from Arabic, read.
"Dubai Police has transferred the case to Dubai Public Prosecution, which will carry out regular legal procedures followed in such cases," they said. "Dubai Police General Command: A forensic report showed that the death of Indian actress Sridevi Kapoor was caused by her drowning in her hotel bathroom."
The Dubai Public Prosecution will investigate Sridevi's death, but it's part of "regular legal procedures." "Dubai Police confirm that the case file has been forwarded to the Dubai Public Prosecution to take the necessary legal action as is the case in such cases," authorities said in their final tweet.
Sridevi had a film career that spanned five decades, with the actress staring in her first film at 4 years old. She appeared in more than 300 movies, speaking in several different Indiana languages.
Sridevi was best known for Bollywood films like Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Nagina (1986), Mr. India (1987), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991) and Gumrah (1993). Her last film, Mom, debuted in theaters in 2017.
Sridevi was touted as Bollywood's first femal superstar, critic Rajeev Masand told CNN on Sunday. "It didn't matter who the male actors where, the movies were shouldered by Sridevi," he said.
"In commercial films, she was able to deliver great performances. Even when she was doing absurd stuff like playing a snake in the movie Nagina, the performances were amazing," Masand added.
Dozens of celebrities and politicians took to social media to mourn Sridevi's death, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sridevi's husband, Bollywood producer Boney Kapoor, and two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi, survive her.
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