New Delhi: The year is about to come to a close, and this year too witnessed a lot of ups and downs. While smiles and tears are a part of life, it was really saddening to watch the gems of the country leave us for the heavenly abode. Many veterans from different spheres of the industry bid an untimely goodbye, leaving fans in tears. Let's have a look at the prominent Indian celebrities who passed away in the year 2022.
1. Pandit Birju Maharaj:
The legendary Kathak dancer from Lucknow's 'Kalka-Bindadin' Gharana left us for the heavenly abode on January 16, at the age of 83 after suffering a heart attack. According to reports, Birju Maharaj was playing with his grandsons when his health deteriorated and he became unconscious. He was taken to hospital following this, where he was declared dead.
Birju Maharaj was an exceptional vocalist as well who was skilled in Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan, and Ghazal. Being a brilliant storyteller, he wove episodes from his life into his performances to captivate the audience. He was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Kathak.
2. Lata Mangeshkar:
One of India's most popular playback singers, Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6. She was 92 years old and was facing several health-related issues. During her long career that spanned over seven decades, she has contributed a lot to the music industry. Known as the 'Nightingale of India', her evergreen songs will continue to be hummed for generations to come. Her death was indeed a huge loss to the industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood celebrities had paid tributes to the legendary singer. She was also referred to as the "Queen of Melody" and interestingly, she was a passionate cricket fan as well.
Praveen Kumar Sobti: Praveen Kumar Sobti, was an Indian hammer and discus thrower and was best known for his role as 'Bheem' in B.R. Chopra's famous TV series 'Mahabharat'. He died following a cardiac arrest on February 7 at the age of 74. Throughout his life, he made significant contributions to both athletics and cinema.
Bappi Lahiri: The evergreen 'Disco King', Bappi Lahiri, was a stalwart of the Indian music industry. He was an all-time favourite singer-composer for the Indian youth. After fighting obstructive sleep apnea, the composer-singer passed away on February 15 this year. He was 69. He popularised disco music in India during the 80s and 90s. Lahiri was never hesitant to dress up and wear extravagant coats and jackets. He loved gold jewellery and was known to always wear a couple of gold chains.
He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1986 for having recorded more than 180 songs for 33 films. He was also the first Indian composer to be selected for the Grammy jury in 2012. For the movies 'Moana' and 'Lion', the composer received nominations in 2017 for the Oscars and Golden Globes. He sang in the movie 'Moana' and contributed his voice to the Hindi dubbing of the character 'Tamatoa'. Come Closer, a song by him was featured on Lion's soundtrack.
Sandhya Mukharjee: Geetashree Sandhya Mukhopadhyay was an iconic Bengali singer skilled in multiple genres of music from classical and khayal to bhajans and kirtans and so much more. She was also one of the singers who were part of the musical masterpiece of Mahishasuramardini, which continues to be one of the most-played Bengali recordings till date.
Sandhya Mukhopadhyay was honoured with the Banga Bibhushan in 2022, which is the highest civilian honour of the Indian state of West Bengal. In addition to that, she was also a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her songs in the films Jay Jayanti and Nishi Padma in the year 1970.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma: Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, an Indian classical santoor player passed away in Mumbai on May 10 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 84. the maestro was also suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months and was on dialysis.
Sidhu Moose Wala: Famous Punjabi singer turned-politician, Sidhu Moose Wala died on May 29. He was shot dead by local gangsters. Moose Wala was driving his car when unknown gunmen opened fire on him and killed him in the village of Jawaharke, located in the region of Mansa. He was well known for his contributions to the Punjabi music industry and has a huge fan following all over the world.
KK: Krishnakumar Kunnath, better known by his stage name KK, was a popular Indian playback singer, and breathed his last on June 1. He had performed live at the Nazrul Mancha auditorium in South Kolkata, after which he fell ill. He suffered a heart attack while going back to his hotel after his performance. He was 53. The versatile singer recorded several melodious songs in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, and many more.
Deepesh Bhan: Actor Deepesh Bhan best known for the role of 'Malkhan' in the famous comedy show 'Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain' passed away on July 23 at the age of 41. He was said to have collapsed early in the morning while playing cricket. His death was a big blow to the show's team as well.
Raju Srivastava: Raju Srivastava was a comedian, actor, and turned-politician who passed away on September 21. He became popular after taking part in 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge', in which he was a runner-up and won the title of 'King of Comedy'. At the age of 58, he breathed his last at the AIIMS in Delhi, after suffering a heart attack.
Vikram Gokhle: Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale passed away on November 26, at the age of 77 due to multiple organ failures in Pune. He was a versatile actor having featured not only in Hindi movies but also in many Marathi films. He appeared in some iconic movies like 'Agneepath', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Mission Mangal', 'Hichki', 'Aiyaari', 'Bang Bang!', 'De Dana Dan', and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, as well. In his career spanning over 40 years, he also starred in some TV shows.
Tunisha Sharma: Tunisha Sharma was an Indian television and film actress. She committed suicide by hanging herself on the sets of the TV serial 'Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul', in Mumbai on December 24. She made her acting debut with 'Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap' as 'Chand Kawar' in 2015. The actress was best known for having played 'Rajkumari Ahankara' in 'Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat', 'Zara'/'Babli' in 'Ishq Subhan Allah', and 'Aadhya Verma' in 'Internet Wala Love' shows.