Bollywood superstar Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub in Dubai

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Bollywood superstar Sridevi drowned in hotel bathtub

Bollywood actress Sridevi died over the weekend after she drowned in a hotel bathtub in Dubai, despite initial reports stating that she went into cardiac arrest at a family wedding.

Bollywood actress Sridevi died over the weekend after she drowned in a hotel bathtub in Dubai, despite initial reports stating that she went into cardiac arrest at a family wedding. She was 54.

Sridevi, said to be Bollywood’s first female superstar, was in the United Arab Emirates for her nephew’s wedding. She was found dead Saturday evening, the BBC reported.

Dubai police confirmed on Tuesday the actress’ cause of death was “due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness.”

“The case has now been closed,” Dubai police tweeted.

Two police officials also told The Associated Press that Sridevi, who is known only by her first name, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of her death.

Her brother-in-law, Sanjay Kapoor, had told an Indian newspaper that she died of cardiac arrest. It’s unclear how cardiac arrest was linked to the accidental drowning.

Sridevi’s body is expected to be embalmed before it is flown in to India for her funeral. Anil Ambani, a wealthy Mumbai-based industrialist, dispatched a private plane to Dubai to carry Sridevi's body back home, according to Indian media.

Mourners gathered outside Sridevi's home in Mumbai after news of her death. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mourners gathered outside the actress’ Mumbai home following the news of her death.

The 54-year-old’s death made international headlines and was front-page news in India. She was the most famous Bollywood actress of the 1980s and 1990s, and the first female superstar to get top billing in an industry that was completely dominated by men.

She began her acting career at 4 years old in south Indian regional movies, she became known as an adult for her impeccable comic timing as well as her dancing skills — a serious asset in a country where song-and-dance melodramas are a movie staple.

She appeared in nearly 300 films in the span of five decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.