Shilpa Shetty Kundra bereaved

Shilpa Shetty at her residence; (inset) Surendra Shetty

It was a sad - perhaps, the saddest - Dusshera for Shilpa Shetty Kundra as her father, Surendra Shetty, passed away in his sleep yesterday morning following cardiac arrest. He was in his 70s. The last rites will be performed today at Juhu crematorium.

Anil Thadani and Raveena Tandon

Sources said he was rushed to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Andheri where the doctors tried to revive him, but in vain. Shilpa, along with mother Sunanda and husband Raj Kundra, was at the hospital, while younger sister, actress Shamita Shetty, was in Chennai to attend a spiritual course, we hear, and took the first flight home on receiving the news. A statement sent out by Shilpa's team read, "We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing away of Surendra Shetty. He took his last breath at home."

R Madhavan

On Monday, Shilpa shot for a kids' dance reality show that she is currently judging. Her next shoot schedule remains unclear. Her friends, Raveena Tandon, R Madhavan and Harman Baweja were among the first visitors to her house. Priyanka Chopra tweeted, "My condolences. The loss of a parent is incomparable."

Raj Kundra

A businessman by profession, Surendra had produced an Indo-Chinese drama, The Desire, in 2010, which remains unreleased. He was in news last year when he filed a complaint against a self proclaimed godman for duping him of Rs 2 crore. The accussed was later arrested from Uttar Pradesh.

Harman Baweja. Pics/Yogen Shah