There was no let-up in fans thronging the road outside actor Sridevi’s residence in Green Acres, Andheri Lokhandwala, even as uncertainty continued over the arrival of her body, and cremation.
The crowd continued to swell through the day, with many fans weeping openly, even as the police kept telling them that there was no one at home, and that her body was not going to be brought any time soon.
A group of fans from Gulbarga, Karnataka, arrived in the city on Sunday and have been staying in a hotel ever since.
Among them was Manoj Karekar, a cylinder delivery man, “We were shocked to hear about our favourite celebrity’s demise. Her films like Heer-Ranjha , Khuda Gawah , Nagina , Mom are outstanding. We have seen her interviews and have been following her since a long time. We are here to see her and her family and pray for them,” he said.
‘Dreadful news’
Among the hundreds of fans at Green Acres was Bengaluru-based film director Sundeep Malani, who said he was one of Sridevi’s biggest fans. Mr. Malani returned to his residence at Banaswadi near Bengaluru on Saturday evening after a shoot, only to wake up on Sunday to the dreadful news of his favourite actor’s demise.
“I couldn’t believe it. I slapped myself a few times to make sure I wasn’t in a dream. I broke down as I saw the news,” recalled a shattered Mr. Malani. Born in Mumbai, he said it was because of Sridevi that he became interested in movies. “I have been her fan since I was eight, when I first saw her Tamil film Kalyana Raman . I am more of a devotee than a fan. For me, she is a diva and an icon. I have a collection of all her films, and I have watched them all more than a hundred times,” Mr. Malani said. He said he had been in the film industry for the past 27 years, and had directed six feature films and two documentaries. His Hindi film, Janleva 555 (2012), was dedicated to Sridevi.
Mr. Malani recalled how on Sridevi’s 50th birthday he gifted her a collage of her pictures along with a childhood picture of hers with her parents. “She broke into tears, later she called me over with my family to have coffee and lunch with her,” he said, adding, “I am deeply affected and in shock. She will always be my Chandni.”
