RIP Sridevi (1963-2018): The first woman superstar of Indian cinema

Bollywood actor Sridevi Kapoor died of heart attack in Dubai on Sunday. (Picture: Twitter/@SrideviBKapoor)

Born to a Tamil father and Telugu mother, Sridevi Kapoor started her career at the age of four. (Youtube Screengrab)

In 1976, Sridevi started her first leading role in the Tamil film Moondru Mudichu directed by K. Balachander. Sridevi made her debut as a heroine in Hindi films in Solva Sawan in 1979. (Youtube Screengrab)

Himmatwala released in 1983 and became one of the biggest blockbusters. It established Sridevi in Bollywood and earned her the famous sobriquet 'Thunder Thighs'. (Youtube Screengrab)

Sadma, with Kamal Haasan, released in 1983, brought Sridevi critical acclaim. Her performance as a child-woman suffering from amnesia was a milestone in her career. (Youtube Screengrab)

In 1986, came the snake fantasy Nagina which saw Sridevi play an 'ichhadhaari naagin' or a shape-shifting woman. The film turned out to be the second biggest blockbuster of the year. (Youtube Screengrab)

During the 1980s, Mithun Chakraborty had a love affair with Sridevi. She had fallen in love with Mithun Chakraborty on the sets of Rakesh Roshan's Jaag Utha Insan in 1984. Sridevi and Mithun Chakraborty got married secretly, and Mithun admitted it to the press when a fan magazine published their marriage certificate. (Youtube Screengrab)

Sridevi followed the success of Nagina by playing a goofy crime journalist in the 1987 film Mr. India. The dance number 'Hawa Hawai' became a popular nickname for the actress.

Sridevi gave Hindi Cinema one of its sexiest rain songs in the film's chart-buster 'Kaate nahin kat te', where Filmfare described Sridevi as "truly a goddess in a blue sari".

In 1989 came Chaalbaaz, which had Sridevi in a double role, playing twin sisters separated at birth. This twin-sister act won Sridevi her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Hindi films.

In 1996, Sridevi married Boney Kapoor, a film producer who is also the elder brother of actors Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor. (Photo: Twitter/ @SrideviBKapoor)

Boney Kapoor and Sridevi have two daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi. Jahnvi is set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Ishaan Khattar this year. (Photo: Twitter/@SrideviBKapoor)

After a 15 year hiatus, Sridevi returned to the screen in 2011 with Gauri Shinde's English Vinglish. Western media compared her to Meryl Streep and Audrey Hepburn after this performance. (Photo: PTI)

Sridevi was next seen in her home production titled Mom. Mom released in July 2017 to positive reviews, with critics praising Sridevi's performance. (Photo: Twitter/SrideviBKapoor)