The year 2021 had its share of painful goodbyes. Indian cinema lost several gems in the year, some due to Covid-19, some in unfortunate accidents, and some due to sudden or prolonged health conditions. Here's a tribute...
Puneeth Rajkummar, Ishwari Deshpande/Pics: Instagram
Anil Panachooran
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Malayalam poet and lyricist Anil Panachooran passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on January 3. He was 51. Known for the lyrics he penned for movies including Arabi Katha regarding Communism had won him many fans.
Unnikrishnan Namboothiri
Noted Malayalam film actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri, known for his comedy and grandfather roles, died on January 20, his family sources said. Namboothiri was 98. The actor had survived Covid-19 and was discharged from a hospital a day before. His role as a romantic grandfather in Kalyanaraman was a huge hit.
Indrajit Deb
Veteran Bengali actor Indrajit Deb died on January 30 following a cardiac arrest, family members said. He was 73. Deb was also suffering from a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney ailment for a long time and died at his Gol Park residence in the southern part of the city, the family members said. Deb had started his career in a popular TV serial Tero Parbon and played an important role in Karuanamoyee Rani Rasmoni and web series- The Adventures of Gogol.
Sardool Sikander
Noted Punjabi singer and actor Sardool Sikander died on February 24 at a Mohali hospital where was undergoing treatment for Covid-19. He was 60. Sikander, who had undergone a renal transplant in 2016 and was admitted to the hospital on January 19, passed away at 11.55 am, sources at Fortis Hospital said. They said his condition worsened in the last few days and he was put on life support systems. Sikander, who acted in several Punjabi films, including Jagga Daku, initially came into the limelight with appearances on radio and TV during the early 1980s. He had several hit songs to his credit. These included 'Sanu ishq brandi char gayi' and 'Ek charkha gali de wich dha laya'.
Diljaan
Punjabi singer Diljaan died in a car accident on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway on March 30, police said. He was 31. The singer, who was going to Kartarpur, lost control of his car while negotiating a curve near Jandiala Guru town and collided with a divider, they said. The vehicle overturned as a result of the collision, the police said, adding that the accident spot is over 70 kilometres from Amritsar. Diljaan was immediately rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, the police said.
Prathima Devi
Veteran Kannada film actress Prathima Devi who had worked in more than 60 movies died at the age of 88 on April 6, family sources said. According to the family members, she had a habit of sleeping before lunch every day. On Tuesday too, she was lying on the bed. When her family members tried to wake her up, she did not respond. Believing that she might have lost her consciousness due to old age, the family members rushed her to a hospital where she was declared brought dead. Some of her prominent movies besides Krishna Leela were Jaganmohini, Nagakanye, Shiva Parvathi and Sri Srinivasa Kalyana.
Vira Sathidar
Actor-activist Vira Sathidar, best known for featuring in the National Award-winning film Court, died on April 13 due to Covid-19 related complications, filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane confirmed. The actor, who was in his early sixties, was admitted to Nagpur hospital after he contracted the coronavirus. According to Tamhane, who directed him in the acclaimed 2014 Court, the actor was put on a ventilator and breathed his last around 3 am.
Vivekh
Tamil movie comedian and Padma Shri recipient Vivekh passed away on April 17 at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 59. He was admitted to SIMS Hospital on Friday morning after showing "acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock". Vivekh who was in a critical condition was put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support, the hospital said. Vivekh was brought to the emergency ward of the hospital in an unconscious state at about 11 a.m. on Friday by his family members, the hospital said. The hospital said he was resuscitated in the emergency room by specialists and later underwent an emergency coronary angiogram followed by angioplasty.
Sumitra Bhave
Veteran film director and writer Sumitra Bhave, known for her work in the Marathi cinema and theatre, died in a hospital here (Pune) on April 19 following lung-related ailments, director Sunil Sukthankar said. She was 78. Bhave was suffering from lung-related ailments for the last two months. Bhave had won several national and international awards for her work. After completing her education, she started working with a social welfare organisation and also worked as a teacher at the Karve Institute of Social Sciences in Pune. Later, she also worked as a newsreader. In 1985, Bhave made her first short film Bai, which was about a woman living in a slum and her survival against all odds. The film won several national awards. In 1995, Bhave and Sukthankar made their directorial debut with Doghi, which received the National Film Award.
Ramu
Noted Kannada film producer Ramu, who was married to Kannada female superstar Malashree, succumbed to Covid-19 on April 26. The news was revealed the following day by Kannada Film Academy Chairman and close family friend, Sunil Puranik, who condoled his death. Ramu earned a title for his big-budget -- not less than Rs 1 crore -- for a small market like the Kannada industry in the 1990s. In his career spanning more than two decades as a producer, he had produced more than 30 movies, of which Malashree had acted in 11.
KV Anand
Noted director and cinematographer KV Anand passed away on April 30 following a cardiac arrest. He was 54. Starting his career as a photojournalist, Anand later moved to the movie world as a cinematographer and then as a movie director. Anand made his movie debut as a cinematographer in the Malayalam movie Thenmaavin Kombath for which he had won a national award. His first Tamil movie was Kadhal Desam and later went on to work in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi movies. He had worked with Director Shankar in the popular movies Mudhalvan and Rajinikanth starrer Sivaji. It was in 2005 Anand turned into a movie director in the film Kana Kandaen. He had directed movies like Ayan, Ko, Maattraan, Kaappaan and others.
Thummala Narsimha Reddy
Well-known YouTube anchor, journalist and actor Thummala Narsimha Reddy on May 10 passed away due to Covid-19. Popular as TNR, he breathed his last at a private hospital in Hyderabad, where he was admitted a few days before. He had tested positive for Covid and was under home isolation. The family shifted him to a hospital after a drop in his oxygen level. TNR was popular as a YouTube anchor for his interviews with celebrities on the channel Frankly Speaking. He also acted in few Telugu films as a character artist.
Dennis Joseph
Ace scriptwriter Dennis Joseph, who wrote for several superhit films in the eighties and nineties that made actors Mammootty and Mohanlal superstars, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on May 10, industry sources said. Joseph, who began his career in the early eighties as a journalist with a film magazine, later started writing scripts. He penned scripts for 45 films besides directing five movies, of which Manu Uncle fetched him the national award for best children's film in 1988. Joseph last wrote the script for ace director Priyadarshan's film Geethanjali in 2013.
PC George
Popular police officer-turned-Malayalam film actor PC George passed away at a private hospital in Thrissur on May 14, said industry sources. He was 74 and suffering from illness. George had retired from the rank of SP of police and was known for the various villain roles he played. However, he began his acting in the theatre and soon graduated to Malayalam films. His film career got the break after he was posted in the state capital city in the early eighties and his career graph went steep after his stellar performance in the Mammootty starrer- Sangham in 1988 and since then he had no reason to look back. Time and again he took long leave from his official career and he acted in more than 75 films.
Nitish Veera
Actor Nitish Veera, who was associated with Tamil Cinema for more than two decades, passed away on May 17 due to Covid-19 complications. He was 45. Nitish Veera began his career in 2000 with the film Vallarasu and was then seen in Kaala, Airaa, Neeya 2, and Asuran.
BA Raju
Telugu producer and veteran journalist BA Raju died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Hyderabad, family sources said. He was 62. Raju passed away while undergoing treatment on May 21. "With extreme sorrow & grief, we would like to announce the untimely demise of our beloved father Shri B.A.Raju. He passed away due to sudden fluctuations of diabetes & cardiac arrest," his son B Shiva Kumar tweeted. Raju started his career as a cinema journalist and later started making movies. He ran a popular film magazine Super Hit for several years. He was also a well-known film trade analyst.
Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Eminent film director Buddhadeb Dasgupta, who had been battling kidney ailments for quite some time, died at his residence early on June 10 following a cardiac arrest, family members said. He was 77. Dasgupta began his career as a lecturer in a college before taking a plunge into filmmaking in the 70s, after having enrolled his name as a member of Calcutta Film Society. He made his first feature film Dooratwa in 1978, leaving his mark as a poet-lyricist-director. He had also directed Hindi films -- Andhi Gali and Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa. Dasgupta -- who bagged 12 national awards in his lifetime -- was liberal in his views, having criticized several political activities in recent times.
KCN Chandru
Karnataka's legendary film producer KCN Chandrashekhar, whose family banner - KCN Movies - had produced a large number of cult classic movies and delivered blockbusters, passed away due to multi-organ failure on June 13. He was 69. The producer was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru where he was undergoing treatment. He died due to multiple organ failures on Sunday, according to family sources. Chandrashekhar's final rites were conducted at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday morning.
Swatilekha Sengupta
Veteran Bengali actor Swatilekha Sengupta died at a hospital in Kolkata on June 16 after a long battle with kidney ailments, her family said. She was 71 and survived by husband Rudraprasad Sengupta and daughter Sohini. She was undergoing treatment at the private hospital for the last 24 days after being admitted there with renal problems. She died around 3 pm, Sohini told PTI. Swatilekha, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, was one of the spearheads of theatre group Nandikar along with her husband and daughter.
KTS Padannayil
Noted Malayalam film actor KTS Padannayil, known for his comedy roles, passed away due to age-related ailments at a hospital on July 22, film industry sources said. He was 88. Beginning his acting career as a theatre artist decades ago, Padannayil became active in Malayalam movies in the 1990s. In his film career spanning nearly two decades, Padannayil has acted in more than 60 films. Hailing from nearby Tripunithura, he has also acted in many television comedy serials. He had run a small shop in Tripunithura for earning his livelihood.
Jayanthi
Eminent multi-lingual film actress Jayanthi, who had acted in more than 500 films in her close to five decades of career in the tinsel town, passed away on July 26, her family sources said. The 76-year old, who acted in movies in five languages, was suffering from age-related ailments and was undergoing treatment for quite some time, they added.
Rizabawa
Popular Malayalam actor Rizabawa, who was suffering from kidney ailments, passed away at a private hospital on September 13, said industry sources. He was 54. Rizabawa's popular films include In Harihar Nagar, Malappuram Haji Mahanaya Joji, Pokkiriraja, to name a few.
Ishwari Deshpande
25-year-old Marathi actress Ishwari Deshpande died in a car accident in Goa on September 20. The actress was travelling with a friend, Shubham Dedge (28), who also died on the spot. The incident is said to have occurred on Monday morning near Arpora or Hadfade village in the Bardez taluka. According to reports, both Ishwari and Shubham were Pune residents and were planning to get engaged next month. Ishwari was set to make her Marathi film debut with Sunil Chauthmal's Premache Side Effects.
Soujanya
Noted Kannada small-screen actress Soujanya was found dead in suspicious circumstances in an apartment near Doddabele village on the outskirts of Bengaluru city in neighbouring Ramnagar district on September 24. Soujanya left a four-page death note before taking the extreme step of allegedly dying by suicide. She claimed that her mental state was not good and she could not take it anymore.
Venkat
Telugu film producer Venkat Phanindra Reddy, popular for producing films like Kick, Samanyudu, Lovely, Hungama and many more, breathed his last September 27. Venkat was 57 and was undergoing medical treatment for kidney-related ailment in Hyderabad.
Satyajith
Kannada actor Satyajith passed away at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in Karnataka's Bengaluru on October 10. Originally named Syed Nizamuddin, the actor began his journey in the film line as an antagonist. Satyajith has acted in over 600 films, including Shiva Mecchida Kannappa (1988), Chaitrada Premanjali (1992), and Putnanja (1995).
Nedumudi Venu
Noted Malayalam film actor Nedumudi Venu died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on October 11, film industry sources said. He breathed his last this afternoon while undergoing treatment for stomach related ailments, they said. He was 73. Beginning his career as a theatre artiste, he entered the Malayalam movie world in 1978 through G Aravindan's movie Thambu. The actor handled many versatile roles in Malayalam movies in his over 40 year long film career.
Mahesh Koneru
Tollywood producer Mahesh Koneru died from cardiac arrest on October 12. He was 40. Mahesh had made a few Telugu films under the East Coast Productions banner. His productions included movies such as 118, Thimmarus, and Miss India. He had also dubbed the Tamil movie Bigil starring Vijay into Telugu with the title Vigil.
Srikanth
Srikanth, who was famous for being the first celluloid hero of the late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, passed away here on October 12. He was 82. The veteran actor had been ailing for some time. The Tamil Nadu Nadigar Sangam (actors association) announced the passing away of the actor. Srikanth shared screen space with Jayalalithaa in the 1965 movie, Venniara Aadai. He was the hero of K Balachander classics such as Bama Vijayam, Poovaa Thalaiyaa and Ethir Neechel.
Shankar Rao
Noted Kannada actor and comedian Shankar Rao passed away in Bengaluru at his home on October 18. He was 88 and unwell for quite some time. Shankar Rao acted in more than a hundred Kannada films by the side of all popular heroes for over three decades. Some of the stars he worked with included Vishnuvardhan, Shankar Nag, Anant Nag, Lokesh, Srinath, Dwarkeesh, Shivaraj Kumar, Ravichandran, Ramesh Arvind, Upendra, Puneeth Rajkumar and Darshan. Closely associated with the stage, Shankar Rao made his Sandalwood debut with the movie Yaara Sakshi.
Puneeth Rajkumar
Actor Puneeth Rajkumar, who was rushed to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru on Friday morning after complaining of chest pain, passed away due to a heart attack on October 29. Puneeth Rajkumar was best known for his work in the Sandalwood industry. He is the son of a matinee idol, Rajkumar. He started his acting career as a child. A lot of his earlier projects comprised Rajkumar himself playing his reel father. Films like Thayige Thakka Maga, Vasantha Geetha and Bhagyavantha followed up, which also showcased his singing skills. For the N Lakshminarayan film Bettada Hoovu he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. He ended his childhood appearances with the action film Parashuram. Puneeth's first leading role came opposite Rakshita in Appu (2002), a highly successful romantic drama directed by Puri Jagannadh. Puneeth's first award-winning performance came through the film Arasu for which he won the Filmfare award and his next release Milana got him the Karnataka State Film Award. His other major successes include Jackie, Hudugaru, Rana Vikrama, Raajakumara and Natasaarvabhowma.
Prabhakar
Noted violinist Prabhakar Jog died at his residence in Maharashtra on October 31 due to age-related issues, sources close to his family said. He was 89. He had performed more than 80 solo programmes as part of 'Ganare Violin' shows in India and Dubai. Jog, who worked as a musician and composer for more than six decades, had made significant contributions to Marathi and Hindi film music.
Kozhikode Sarada
Veteran Malayalam actress Kozhikode Sarada passed away at Kozhikode on November 9, film industry sources said. She was ailing for a while and she breathed her last at the very same hospital where she worked as a nursing assistant. She made her acting career through the stage and it was in 1979 that she made her debut in Malayalam films through Ankakuri. In her career spanning close to four decades, she donned the greasepaint in around 90 films, often playing the role of a mother and side characters.
CV Sasikumar
Tamil director CV Sasikumar, known for having directed the Arjun-starrer Sengottai, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest on November 14. He was 57. Sources close to the director said he had been undergoing treatment for cancer for some time at a hospital at Porur in Chennai. However, on Sunday, his health condition deteriorated and he died of a cardiac arrest.
Bichu Thirumala
Veteran Malayalam lyricist Bichu Thirumala died on November 26. He was 80 when he breathed his last. Bichu Thirumala was undergoing treatment in a hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Shiva Shankar
National Award-winning choreographer Shiva Shankar Master passed away at the age of 72 after battling Covid-19, on November 28. Shiva Shankar bagged the Best Choreography Award for the blockbuster movie Magadheera. He choreographed the song Dheera Dheera for the award-winning film which was directed by SS Rajamouli and features Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal in the leads.
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