<p>Indian actress and popular VJ Sophiya Haque died in a hospital here today. She was 41.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Haque was suffering from pneumonia and had been undergoing tests during which she is believed to have developed a clot in her lungs and passed away in her sleep.<br /><br />The model-actress, who lived in London with her partner and musical director David White, had fallen ill just before Christmas and was diagnosed with cancer.<br /><br />Haque, best known in India as a bubbly Channel V VJ, was a popular stage and television actress in Britain. She recently made her mark on prime-time TV as barmaid Poppy Morales on the well-known soap 'Coronation Street' and was in the midst of a West End production called Privates on Parade.<br /><br />"Sophiya was a wonderful actress, a wonderful client but so much more than that a wonderful friend. She was adored by everyone she worked with and will be deeply missed," said her agent, Oliver Thomson.<br /><br />He described Haque's relationship with White as "very happy" and the couple were in the process of building a houseboat together when she fell ill.<br /><br />Haque hit the big league in Britain when she bagged the role of a Bollywood actress in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and AR Rahman musical Bombay Dreams.<br /><br />This led to a number of plum roles in musicals, including as Janoo Rani in Far Pavilions and most recently as Soraya in Wah! Wah! Girls, described as a good-natured Bollywood musical by critics last year.<br /><br />In Privates on Parade, which opened here last month, she was praised for her role of Eurasian Sylvia opposite one of Britain's leading stage actors, Simon Russell Beale.<br />After hearing the news of Haque's sudden demise, Bollywood celebrities took to Twitter to express their grief.<br /><br />Kabir Bedi, who worked with the late actress in stage production 'Far Pavilions', posted, "Saddened by the passing of Sophiya Haque, friend and talented actress, who I acted with in 'Far Pavilions', London West End."<br /><br />"Tragic news about Sophiya Haque. One of the most gorgeous women to have walked this planet... Shine on wherever it is you now are love...," filmmaker Pooja Bhatt tweeted.<br /><br />Model-actress Dia Mirza said, "RIP Sophiya Haque... She definitely was amongst the first VJ's on Indian TV and I loved her."<br /><br />"She exuded love and warmth wherever she went. Heartbroken RIP, Sophiya Haque," posted VJ turned actor Ranvir Shorey.<br /><br />"RIP Sophiya Haque, who along with Danny McGill plus Nonie, started a revolution as India's first VJ's on MTV. They were proper megastars in '93," tweeted music composer Vishal Dadlani.</p>
<p>Indian actress and popular VJ Sophiya Haque died in a hospital here today. She was 41.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Haque was suffering from pneumonia and had been undergoing tests during which she is believed to have developed a clot in her lungs and passed away in her sleep.<br /><br />The model-actress, who lived in London with her partner and musical director David White, had fallen ill just before Christmas and was diagnosed with cancer.<br /><br />Haque, best known in India as a bubbly Channel V VJ, was a popular stage and television actress in Britain. She recently made her mark on prime-time TV as barmaid Poppy Morales on the well-known soap 'Coronation Street' and was in the midst of a West End production called Privates on Parade.<br /><br />"Sophiya was a wonderful actress, a wonderful client but so much more than that a wonderful friend. She was adored by everyone she worked with and will be deeply missed," said her agent, Oliver Thomson.<br /><br />He described Haque's relationship with White as "very happy" and the couple were in the process of building a houseboat together when she fell ill.<br /><br />Haque hit the big league in Britain when she bagged the role of a Bollywood actress in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and AR Rahman musical Bombay Dreams.<br /><br />This led to a number of plum roles in musicals, including as Janoo Rani in Far Pavilions and most recently as Soraya in Wah! Wah! Girls, described as a good-natured Bollywood musical by critics last year.<br /><br />In Privates on Parade, which opened here last month, she was praised for her role of Eurasian Sylvia opposite one of Britain's leading stage actors, Simon Russell Beale.<br />After hearing the news of Haque's sudden demise, Bollywood celebrities took to Twitter to express their grief.<br /><br />Kabir Bedi, who worked with the late actress in stage production 'Far Pavilions', posted, "Saddened by the passing of Sophiya Haque, friend and talented actress, who I acted with in 'Far Pavilions', London West End."<br /><br />"Tragic news about Sophiya Haque. One of the most gorgeous women to have walked this planet... Shine on wherever it is you now are love...," filmmaker Pooja Bhatt tweeted.<br /><br />Model-actress Dia Mirza said, "RIP Sophiya Haque... She definitely was amongst the first VJ's on Indian TV and I loved her."<br /><br />"She exuded love and warmth wherever she went. Heartbroken RIP, Sophiya Haque," posted VJ turned actor Ranvir Shorey.<br /><br />"RIP Sophiya Haque, who along with Danny McGill plus Nonie, started a revolution as India's first VJ's on MTV. They were proper megastars in '93," tweeted music composer Vishal Dadlani.</p>