Veteran playback singer Vani Jairam.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: In 2023, the Hindi film industry lost some of its brightest stars.
Here's remembering a few of them:
1. Junior Mehmood: The child star of films such as Caravan, Brahmachari and Mera Naam Joker in the late 1960s and early 1970s died on December 8 following a battle with cancer. He was 68. Born as Naeem Sayyed, the actor got his pen name from his idol Mehmood after they starred together in the 1968 film Suhaag Raat.
2. Satish Kaushik: The actor-filmmaker, who was 66, died on March 9 after a heart attack. He passed away while he was on his way to a Gurugram hospital.
An alumnus of the National School of Drama and the Film and Television Institute of India, Kaushik was known for his comic roles in Mr India and Jaane Bhi do Yaaro as well as directing films such as Tere Naam and Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai.
3. Pradeep Sarkar: The filmmaker, best known for directing movies such as Parineeta and Mardaani, died on March 24 at a Mumbai hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a viral fever. He was 67.
Primarily an ad-filmmaker, Sarkar directed several advertisements for prominent brands and music videos, including Shubha Mudgal's Ab Ke Saawan, Euphoria's Dhoom Pichak Dhoom and Sultan Khan's Piya Basanti.
4. Gufi Paintal: The actor, most popular for playing the conniving Shakuni mama in the epic TV serial Mahabharat, died on June 5 at a hospital here due to age-related issues. He was 79.
His credits also include 1980s Hindi films such as Suhaag, Dillagi, as well as shows CID and Hello Inspector, but his manipulative uncle act as Shakuni mama from BR Chopra's Mahabharat made him a household name.
5. Sulochana: The actor, known for her innumerable mother roles in Hindi and Marathi cinema, died on June 4 due to prolonged illness at a hospital in Mumbai. She was 94.
Some of her films include Sasurvas, Vahinichya Bangdya, and Dhakti Jau in Marathi as well as Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Gora Aur Kala, Devar, Talaash, and Azaad in Hindi.
6. Sanjay Gadhvi: The director of the popular action thriller film series Dhoom died on November 19, just three days shy of his 57th birthday. According to Gadhvi's daughter, the director was 'perfectly healthy'.
He made his directorial debut in 2000 with Tere Liye, but gained prominence two years later with Dhoom, which made motorbiking a rage among Indian youth at the time. Its success spawned a film franchise with him directing its superhit sequel Dhoom 2.
7. Seema Deo: Best remembered for her roles in Anand and Kora Kagaz, the actor died on August 24 due to age-related ailments at the age of 81. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for over three years. Deo acted in over 80 Hindi and Marathi films.
8. Sameer Khakhar: Khakhar became a fan favourite through his portrayal of the lovable drunk Khopdi in the classic 1980s TV serial Nukkad. He died at a Mumbai hospital on March 15 due to multiple organ failure. He was 71.
Khakhar hit the headlines in early 2021 after a tweet from a film journalist, informing the industry that the actor was looking for work, caught the attention of colleagues. The actor was most recently seen in the Prime Video series Farzi, starring Shahid Kapoor.
9. Pamela Chopra: Chopra, playback singer, writer and late filmmaker Yash Chopra's wife, died on April 20 at a Mumbai hospital where she was admitted after being diagnosed with pneumonia. She was 74.
She sang many songs for her husband's films, including Khud Se Jo Vada Kiya Tha in Silsila and Ghar Aaja Pardesi in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge. She is also credited as story writer of Kabhie Kabhie, Yash Chopra's 1976 directorial.
10. Vani Jairam: Jairam, who had sung over 10,000 songs in 19 languages including Bole Re Papihara from Jaya Bachchan-starrer Guddi, was found dead on February 4 at her Chennai home. She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award ahead of Republic Day this year.
Jairam was 77 and was living alone at a downtown apartment, where she was found dead, police said, adding there was an injury on her forehead and further investigation is on.
This year, the Hindi entertainment industry also lost art director Nitin Desai, veteran lyricist Dev Kohli, and actors Birbal, Javed Khan Amrohi, Nitesh Pandey, Vaibhavi Upadhyay, Dinesh Phadnis and Rio Kapadia.