FILE - This July 6, 2013 file photo shows Bollywood actors Sridevi, center, and Prabhu Deva, left in yellow, performing during the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau. Sridevi, Bollywood’s... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - This July 6, 2013 file photo shows Bollywood actors Sridevi, center, and Prabhu Deva, left in yellow, performing during the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau. Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of the 1980s and ‘90s who redefined stardom for actresses in India, has died... (Associated Press) 
 
 NEW DELHI (AP) — Sridevi, Bollywood's leading lady of the 1980s and '90s who redefined stardom for actresses in India, has died at age 54. 
 
 The actress was described as the first female superstar in India's male-dominated film industry. She used one name onscreen, like many leading ladies of her generation, and was known for her comic timing and her dancing skills, a great asset in the song-and-dance melodramas that are a staple of mainstream Indian cinema. 
 
 Sridevi died Saturday in Dubai due to cardiac arrest, her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor confirmed to Indian Express online. She had been in Dubai to attend a wedding in her extended family. 
 
 Indian political leaders and entertainers posted condolences and recollections of her work, with many colleagues and fans expressing shock at the sudden news. 
 
 "Woken up to this tragic news. Absolute shock. Sad," tweeted Rishi Kapoor, her co-star in the 1989 film "Chandni," or "Moonlight," in which Shrdevi played a woman choosing between two loves. 
 
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences too. "Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances," he tweeted. 
 
 Sridevi began acting as a child in regional cinema in India's south and made her debut in Hindi-language Bollywood films in the late '70s. 
 
 Other famous roles included "Mr. India," in which she played a reporter, and "Lamhe," or "Moments," a 1991 film in which she played dual roles of mother and teenage daughter. 
 
 Her impeccable comic timing and her dancing skills were front and center in "Chaalbaaz," or "Game Player," in 1989, where she played twins separated at birth. 
 
 She shared the screen with some of Indian cinema's most iconic leading men, from Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh Khan. Another co-star was Anil Kapoor, her brother-in-law who was known in the West for his role in "Slumdog Millionaire." 
 
 She stopped acting for several years after her marriage to film producer Boney Kapoor but made a well-received comeback in 2012 with "English Vinglish," a nuanced performance about a middle-aged woman learning English to fit in better with her family. 
 
 Her last performance was the 2017 film "Mom," where she played a woman seeking vengeance after her stepdaughter is raped. 
 
 She is survived by her husband and two daughters. ||||| FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Indian actress Sridevi arrives at the Marrakech International Film Festival in Marrakech, at the Marrakech Congress Palace. Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Indian actress Sridevi arrives at the Marrakech International Film Festival in Marrakech, at the Marrakech Congress Palace. Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of the 1980s and ‘90s who redefined stardom for actresses in India, has died at age 54. The actress,... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Indian actress Sridevi arrives at the Marrakech International Film Festival in Marrakech, at the Marrakech Congress Palace. Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of the 1980s and ‘90s who redefined stardom for actresses in India, has died at age 54. The actress,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2012 file photo, Indian actress Sridevi arrives at the Marrakech International Film Festival in Marrakech, at the Marrakech Congress Palace. Sridevi, Bollywood’s leading lady of... (Associated Press) 
 
 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Indian actress Sridevi drowned in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai police said in a statement Monday, though two police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time. 
 
 The 54-year-old, who for years was one of Bollywood's top actresses, died late Saturday while in Dubai for a wedding. 
 
 Her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor had told an Indian newspaper that she died of a cardiac arrest. 
 
 In a tweet, the Dubai police said that her death was "due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness." 
 
 They added that the case had been handed to the public prosecutor's office, "which will carry out regular legal procedures." 
 
 Two Dubai police officials added, though, that she was under the influence of alcohol. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. 
 
 Sridevi, who was at her peak in the 1980s and '90s, was seen as the first female superstar in India's male-dominated film industry. She was known for her impeccable comic timing as well as her dancing skills — a serious asset in country where song-and-dance melodramas are a movie staple.
– Indian actress Sridevi drowned in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai police said in a statement Monday, though two police officials said she was also under the influence of alcohol at the time. The 54-year-old, who for years was one of Bollywood's top actresses, died late Saturday while in Dubai for a wedding. Her brother-in-law Sanjay Kapoor had told an Indian newspaper that she died of a cardiac arrest. In a tweet, the Dubai police said that her death was "due to drowning in her hotel apartment's bathtub following loss of consciousness," the AP reports. They added that the case had been handed to the public prosecutor's office, "which will carry out regular legal procedures." Two Dubai police officials added, though, that she was under the influence of alcohol. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Sridevi, who was at her peak in the 1980s and '90s, was seen as the first female superstar in India's male-dominated film industry. She was known for her impeccable comic timing as well as her dancing skills—a serious asset in country where song-and-dance melodramas are a movie staple. Sridevi began acting as a child in regional cinema in India's south and made her debut in Hindi-language Bollywood films in the late '70s. She stopped acting for several years after her marriage to film producer Boney Kapoor but made a well-received comeback in 2012 with English Vinglish. Her last performance was the 2017 film Mom, where she played a woman seeking vengeance after her stepdaughter is raped. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.