Sea of people as far as the eye could see is how Sridevi started her final journey in Mumbai on Wednesday. 

Wrapped in the Tricolour, the actress’s body was taken in a hearse covered with white flowers, the colour of mourning. It was the theme of the day — white lilies, mogra and red roses also covered the hall at Celebration Sports Club where her body was kept for fans and film fraternity members to pay their last respects. 

Sridevi’s body, draped in a red sari with a bindi on her forehead, was brought at 9am. The family — brothers-in-law Anil Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor, nephew Harshvardhan Kapoor and nieces Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor stood in a corner, eyes wet with tears. 

Daughters Janhvi and Khushi stood a little behind them. A sombre, red-eyed Boney Kapoor stood in a corner.

Fashion designer Manish Malhotra — who was clicked with the actress just last week at a wedding in Dubai — broke down and was consoled by filmmaker Karan Johar. Rani Mukerji sat near the body, consoling Sonam. 

From politician Uddhav Thackeray, his wife, and son Aditya Thackeray to Bollywood’s who’s who — Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda,  Hema Malini with daughter Esha, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, producer-director Ramesh Sippy with wife Kiran Juneja, Jaya Prada, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Jackie Shroff,  Karisma Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan with husband Kunal Kemmu, Sushmita Sen, directors Subhash Ghai and Shekhar Kapur, Vidya Balan with husband Siddharth Roy Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Ajay Devgn and Kajol, Ashutosh Rana and Chiranjeevi — came to the club. 

While the gates for the public opened after 10am, fans from across the country queued up since 6am. With flowers in hands and prayer for their idol on their lips, they filed past their beloved Chandni.

As the cortege slowly made way through the city to the Vile Parle crematorium, thousands of mourners jostled with each other to catch a glimpse. Boney, Arjun Kapoor and other family members followed. 

As crowds mobbed the vehicle — with some climbing on trees and clambering on gates to get a better look — Arjun, Boney’s son with first wife Mona Kapoor, who went to Dubai to collect the body, requested them with folded hands to let the funeral procession pass through. 

A Tamil Brahmin pandit was called from Chennai to perform the last rites. Anil Ambani, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Suneil Shetty, Farhan Akhtar, Fardeen Khan, Ramesh Sippy, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar were at the crematorium. The actress was given a state salute before Boney performed the  last rites with his daughters by his side.