Veteran actress Zohra Sehgal dies at 102

Popular Bollywood veteran actress Zohra Sehgal breathed her last on Thursday in New Delhi at the age of 102. She was born on April 27, 1912 and began her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935.

Zee Media Bureau/Anindita Dev

New Delhi: Popular Bollywood veteran actress Zohra Sehgal breathed her last at Max Hospital on Thursday in New Delhi at the age of 102. "She died of a cardiac arrest this afternoon. She was unwell for last three-four days," daughter Kiran told reporters. She was born on April 27, 1912 and began her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935. Sehgal would be cremated tomorrow at 11 AM at the Lodhi Road crematorium. The news was broken in the night by historian Irfan Habib who tweeted, "Just confirmed that Zohra Aapa is no more..." Zohra, was fondly known as the grand old lady of Bollywood and has appeared in many Hindi movies and a number of television series. She had appeared last in Sanjay Leela Bhansali`s `Saawariya` in 2007. She has also acted in Bhaji on the Beach(1992),The Mystic Masseur (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se.. (1998) and Cheeni Kum(2007) The old lady was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998, Kalidas Samman in 2001, and in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi. India`s National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama presented her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India`s second-highest civilian honor, in 2010 Her death is indeed a great loss for the Indian cinema. With Agency Inputs.