Dubai Police: Famous Bollywood Actress Sridevi Died from Drowning

Dubai police said Monday that drowning was the cause of death for famed Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor, correcting earlier reports that she had died of a heart attack.

"Following the completion of post-mortem analysis, #DubaiPolice today stated that the death of Indian actress #Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following loss of consciousness," Dubai police tweeted.

The case of her death has now been transferred to public prosecutors, Dubai police added.

Sridevi, 54, died Saturday night in Dubai while attending her nephew's wedding. Best known for her roles in Indian Hindi romantic drama films, including Chandni, Lamhe, Mr. India, and Nagina, Sridevi began her acting career at a young age and starred in over 300 films.

Her body was flown back to Mumbai Monday, where hundreds of fans had gathered around her home.

Others in the Bollywood film industry expressed their shock and sadness following the news of her death.

"I have no words. Condolences to everyone who loved #Sridevi . A dark day . RIP," actress Priyanka Chopra wrote on Twitter.

"Ma'am, we will always remember you with love and respect," actor Aamir Khan tweeted.

Photo by Laura Lee Dooley from Arlington, VA, USA. Sridevi at IIFA 2014.

Indian Sitarist Ravi Shankar Dies

Indian composer and sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar has died in a California hospital. He was 92.

A statement released by his family, late Tuesday, said Shankar had been in “fragile health” for several years. The statement says he underwent surgery last week and never recovered.

Shankar was one of India's best known performers. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a message on “Twitter” Wednesday reacting to his death. The prime minister called Shankar a “national treasure” and a “global ambassador of India's cultural heritage.”

The late Beatle George Harrison called Shankar “the godfather” of world music. The two collaborated on several projects, including a 1971 relief concert for Bangladesh. Shankar also worked with violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

Shankar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, and also won three Grammy awards. He has been nominated for the 2013 Grammy for his album, “The Living Room Sessions, Part 1.”

He was the father of American singer Norah Jones and performer Anoushka Shankar.

(Photo by Alephalpha, 1988)

Bollywood Actor Kapoor Dead at 79

Indian actor Shammi Kapoor has died. He was 79.

Kapoor is best known as the gyrating, swivel-hipped, handsome actor who helped to transform Bollywood's song and dance sequences into a more modern style.

His bio on his fan website says his “special way” with songs was his “most readily identifiable trademark.”

He made his film debut in 1953 and became the leading Bollywood heart-throb of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He continued acting long after his “heart-throb” days were finished.

Kapoor was born into an acting dynasty. His father was a well-known theater personality and his brothers were also successful actors.

Shammi Kapoor died from renal failure Sunday.

(Photo of Shamsher Raj Kapoor, courtesy of Hasnainsikandar.)

Indian Spiritual Leader Dies After Months of Fasting

Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Indian spiritual leader Swami Nigamanand, who was on a hunger strike for 115 days to protest environmental abuses in the country, died late Monday at the age of 36 in a hospital in Uttarakhand state.

Nigamanand was fasting to bring attention to pollution of India's revered Ganga River, also known as the Ganges.

Nigamanand, who began his fast in February and had slipped into a coma last month, died in relative obscurity, compared to the fast of a celebrity yoga guru Baba Ramdev to protest corruption. Ramdev is very much alive and in the spotlight.

Sociology Professor Mala Kapur Shankardass says Ramdev's fast became a media frenzy because anything which has an impact on politics or on socio-economic aspects gets much more attention.

Shankardass said environmental protests like Nigamanand's tend to be limited to the affected regions. He said environmental issues are not yet on the public agenda like corruption.

India's government has been beleaguered by a series of recent corruption scandals. The largest involves the sale of telecom licenses at below market rates, allegedly causing the loss of up to $40 billion to the government.

The hunger strike is a traditional form of protest in India and was used as part of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence movement.

India's "Picasso" Dies at 95

Thursday, 9 June 2011

India's most eminent artist, Maqbool Fida Husain, sometimes called “the Indian Picasso,” died Thursday in London at the age of 95.

Indian President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and artists and ordinary Indians paid tribute to Husain after news of his death spread across the country.

Husain began his career in India as a Bollywood poster artist and later developed a style combining Indian traditions with a Western-influenced Cubist style. He was also known for avoiding shoes, preferring to go barefoot.

But in 2006, the Muslim artist went into self-imposed exile in Dubai after being targeted by Hindu hardliners angered by his depiction of Hindu deities in the nude and India as a nude woman. Angry Hindu radical groups called the paintings an insult to their religion and offered a reward for his death.

Husain's decision to leave his homeland raised a debate about artistic freedom and tolerance in India. He refused to comment on the controversy, saying he remained deeply rooted to India and was living abroad only to do his work.

Among those who spoke up in Husain's defense was the Supreme Court, which said nudity is common in Indian art and should not be regarded as an obscenity.

Photo: M.F. Hussain, 2010. (Photographer: Ayaz360)