Veteran actor Sridevi has passed away, a family member said. She was 54.
The actor, who was in Dubai for a family function, suffered a cardiac arrest.
Confirming the news of her death, Sridevi's brother-in-law and actor Sanjay Kapoor, told IANS: "Yes, it is true."
Sanjay, however, could not reveal more details as he was on his way to Dubai.
Sridevi was in Dubai to attend the marriage function of actor Sonam Kapoor's cousin Mohit Marwah, along with husband Boney Kapoor and younger daughter Khushi Kapoor.
She went on a hiatus for 15 years after starring in home production—Judaai—co-starring her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. It was director Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish in 2012 that marked Sridevi's comeback.
Her nuanced performance as a middle-class woman, learning to speak English to feel accepted by her family, won accolades, and the film was also a commercial success.
Last year, she was seen in revenge-drama—Mom—opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. She shot for a special appearance in superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film—Zero— which releases in December.
But by the time she made her entry into Bollywood, the actor was a known face in South Indian films.
She made her debut in Tamil films as a child artiste with Thunaivan in 1969. As an adult, she debuted in Tamil cinema in late 70s. She also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
A versatile actor, Sridevi made her Bollywood debut in 1978 with Solva Sawan.
But it was only after five years with Jeetendra-starrer Himmatwala that she gained commercial success. Her beguiling eyes, scintillating screen presence and acting prowess soon made her one of the most sought-after artistes in the Hindi film industry.
While films like Mawaali (1983), Tohfa (1984), Mr India (1987) and Chandni (1989) kept her at the top in the box-office game, her outings like Sadma (1983), ChaalBaaz (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Gumrah (1993) earned her critical acclaim.
The news of death came as a shock for everyone in the film industry.
Here is what some of the Bollywood personalities tweeted:
Nimrat Kaur: "Absolutely devastated to hear about the passing of #Sridevi. What a dark black terrible moment in time. Gutted."
Sushmita Sen tweeted: "I just heard Ma'am Sridevi passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest. I am in shock...can't stop crying..."
Madhur Bhandarkar tweeted: "Unbelievable Shocking & Heartbreaking to hear about the demise of #Sridevi, one of the talented Actress of Indian Cinema. Prayers and strength to the family. #OmShanti"
Priyanka Chopra: "I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi . A dark day. RIP."
Besides Boney and Khushi, she is survived by older daughter Janhvi Kapoor, who is currently working towards making her entry into the Hindi cinema. Sridevi was step-mother to actor Arjun Kapoor and his sister Anshula, who Boney had from late first wife Mona.