'We laid to rest a beautiful soul who has gone too soon'

February 28, 2018 20:09

Hours after family and friends say goodbye to Sridevi and cremated her, the family has issued a statement, saying, "Past few days have been trying times for us. 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. Sridevi had same connect with her family.

"Let us all who loved Sridevi, envelope her two little ones, her life, as she often called them, with as much or more love than we gave Sri so that they can live their lives ahead with a little less ache in their hearts.

"Let's help them remember their mother fondly and help them build life & be what Sridevi had dreamt for them. We ask that you respect our privacy & allow us space to grieve. Sri lived her life with dignity& we implore, you give her the same respect."

Sridevi's funeral procession was the biggest Mumbai had seen for a Bollywood star since Rajesh Khanna in 2012 and perhaps the biggest for a woman, said old timers. There was a sea of people as far as the eye could see.

The last rites were conducted by her filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor as her family and close friends from the industry and outside packed into the Vile Parle Seva Samaj crematorium.

The couple's daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi, were by his side, sources close to the family said.

Fans and the media were kept outside as the mortal remains of the star through the ages were consigned to the flames.

The actor's body was draped in a red kanjivaram sari with a bindi on her forehead.

Few could hold back their tears as the ceremonial gun shots rang out and the pyre was lit.

Outside, there was mayhem with thousands of people, including star-gazers looking to freeze the moment on their phones, blocking the road leading to the crematorium. Police had a difficult time controlling the crowds.

Mourners in the crowd, some with flowers and pictures and others with just a prayer on their lips, said they were still trying to come to terms with the suddenness of her death in a hotel room in Dubai, where she had gone to attend a family wedding.

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