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Celebs, commoners all mourn for actress Sridevi
Thousands of people including celebrities and Bollywood personalities mourned for actress Sridevi here on Wednesday.
Since dawn, hundreds of teary-eyed fans and admirers of the late actress, some carrying flowers, had started queueing up outside the Celebration Sports Club at Lokhandwala Complex for a final ‘darshan’ of their idol.
After the flower-bedecked body was brought to the club premises, a steady stream of celebrities started alighting from their vehicles and were whisked inside to pay their last respects.
Among the early callers were Rekha, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Farah Khan, Nitin Mukesh, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Leela Bhandsali, Farhan Akhtar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, John Abraham, Sulabha Arya, Ajay Devgn and Kajol. Earlier, Salman Khan had visited Green Acres residence of Sridevi at midnight.
Most were sporting dark sunglasses, carrying flowers or small bouquets. They embraced and sought to console the bereaved family members, quickly moving in from the main entrance and exiting fleetingly from the other side, as fans tried to catch a glimpse.
Sridevi’s body was flown to Mumbai from Dubai where she passed away around 11 pm on February 24, and from the airport was taken to the Kapoor residence in Green Acres at the posh Lokhandwala Complex. The Green Acres complex has cancelled Holi celebrations as a mark of respect for their departed resident.
Despite the late hour, several hundreds of fans kept vigil outside the residence when a motorcade including an ambulance reached there.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the Kapoor and Ayyappan families, Sridevi’s body will be kept for three hours at the club, and the final journey will commence around 2 p.m. to the Vile Parle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery at S.V. Road in Vile Parle west, where it will reach around 3.30 pm.
Sridevi passed away following accidental drowning in a bathtub in her hotel room in Dubai, plunging millions of Indians and her fans in shock as the news emanated on Sunday morning.
For three days, the Dubai police authorities completed various legal and medical formalities before the the body was finally handed over to the Kapoor family on Tuesday afternoon.
For the final journey, at the club, and the crematorium, the Mumbai Police have made elaborate security arrangements at various venues and special traffic management at some places.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.