DUBAI/ISLAMABAD: The Bollywood star Sridevi Kapoor lost consciousness and drowned in the bathtub of her hotel apartment in Dubai, a postmortem examination has found.
Dubai Police said they had referred the case to the Public Prosecution, which would “carry out the regular legal procedures followed in such cases.”
Sridevi, 54, died on Saturday night. She was visiting Dubai to attend a family wedding with her husband, the film producer and director Boney Kapoor, and their daughter Khushi. The family said initially she had suffered a cardiac arrest.
“The public prosecution may question Boney Kapoor for further investigation. He may have to stay in Dubai for a while,” Yamini Rajesh, a lawyer in the UAE, told Arab News.
The Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani sent a chartered plane to repatriate Sridevi’s body, a process that will require clearance certificates from UAE officials.
“Most probably, the body will be released after the legal judgment,” Rajesh said.
Meanwhile, Bollywood fans throughout the world mourned the loss of their screen heroine, who appeared in 300 films; her 300th will be Shah Rukh Khan’s forthcoming “Zero,” which has just been completed.
Sridevi’s career began at the age of 4 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada-language films before she crossed over to Bollywood.
She featured over five decades in classics such as “Mr. India,” “Chandni,” “ChaalBaaz” and “Sadma” and, more recently, “English Vinglish.”
The acting and entertainment community in both India and Pakistan spoke of their loss.
Sajal Aly, one of Pakistan’s leading dramatic actresses, made her Bollywood debut with Sridevi in last year’s critically acclaimed “Mom.”
Sajal’s own mother died before the screening of the film. Her post about Sridevi’s death read: “Lost my mom again.”
Other celebrities who paid tribute included the model and actress Mawra Hocane, who posted photos of Sridevi in some of her earlier iconic roles, and a photo of the two meeting in Dubai last year.
The film and television actress Saba Qamar also posted a tribute.
Celebrities Ali Zafar, Mahira Khan, Maya Ali, Sana Javed, Imran Abbas, fashion designer Faraz Manan and cricketer Waqar Younis also expressed their condolences to the Kapoor family and to Sridevi’s legions of fans.
Many cited her influence, her grace when meeting them, and her star power and talent that in many cases inspired them to take to the screen themselves.
Bollywood star Sridevi drowned in Dubai hotel bathtub
Bollywood star Sridevi drowned in Dubai hotel bathtub
Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists
- Egyptian stars and icon Fairuz continue to resonate in region
- Artists shaping rap, mahraganat, hybrid sounds feature
DUBAI: Spotify has released its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally, shaped by streams from listeners both inside and outside the region, offering a snapshot of how MENA music travelled in 2025.
Topping the global MENA artists list is Amr Diab, a mainstay of Arab pop. He also led Egypt’s Wrapped this year, while his catalogue — spanning both older hits and newer releases — continued to draw sustained global engagement.
The return of “Tamally Maak” to the global Top Tracks list underlines the lasting appeal of his music across generations.
Sherine is one of the year’s most emotionally resonant voices with four tracks in the global Top 10. Her classics “Kalam Eineh,” “El Watar El Hassas” and “3la Bali,” alongside her newer release “Btmanna Ansak,” reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.
Spotify data shows her catalogue maintaining a strong, personal connection with audiences throughout 2025.
Regional classics also featured prominently. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found renewed popularity in markets including Indonesia and Turkiye, while Khaled’s “C’est la vie” continued to cross borders, resonating with listeners from France to India.
Fairuz remained a fixture in daily listening habits, anchoring morning and coffee playlists across the Arab world and the diaspora.
Beyond pop, artists shaping rap, mahraganat and hybrid sounds maintained strong global visibility.
ElGrandeToto, Morocco’s Top Artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2025, continued to spotlight the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop, which in 2025 blended rai, chaabi and local rhythms with trap influences.
His collaboration with Spanish-Moroccan rapper Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver,” featured on the global MENA Top Tracks list, highlighting the genre’s cross-regional and European appeal.
Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo also remained a prominent global presence, recognized for his introspective approach within the country’s hip-hop scene.
Mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga appeared in the global rankings as well, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach beyond its local roots.
The global MENA Top Tracks list included “KALAMANTINA,” a collaboration between Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa that blends hip-hop and pop within a hybrid electro-shaabi sound.
