Year Ender 2022: Remembering celebs whose demise left a huge void

This year proved heartbreaking for the entertainment industry, as we bade farewell to some absolute icons, and some far too soon. Whether it’s Lata Mangeshkar’s demise marking an end to an era or playback singer KK’s tragic demise in Kolkata – here’s looking back at some of the most famous faces we’ve sadly said goodbye to in 2022.

Eminent singer KK passes away at the age of 53

The nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar, died on February 6 at 92. The legend passed away due to multiple organ failures at a Mumbai hospital. Lata Mangeshkar, a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, was an icon of Indian cinema, having sung playback for an extensive list of Hindi films.

This was perhaps the most tragic celeb death of 2022. The gifted playback singer passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest following his Kolkata concert at the Nazrul Mancha auditorium in South Kolkata on May 31. His death kicked up a social media storm as almost everyone blamed the organizers for his untimely death. His autopsy report revealed that "myocardial infarction" was the cause of the singer's death.

The talented actress who was hospitalised post suffering multiple cardiac arrests, passed away on November 20. She was 24. The actress was admitted to a private hospital on November 1 after suffering a brain stroke. She had an intracranial hemorrhage and had to undergo surgery. She was a cancer survivor who defeated the disease twice. She was recently declared cancer-free by the doctors and even made her acting comeback too.

The legendary Bengali singer passed away in Kolkata on February 15 after a brief illness. She was 90. Sandhya Mukhopadhyay took Bengali songs to new heights, whether it was playback singing for films or songs released during Durga Puja, which emerged as a new genre and labeled modern Bengali songs. The veteran singer was admitted to a State–run hospital on January 28 and then was transferred to a private health facility in the city for better medical care.

Music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri, who popularised disco music in India in the 80s and 90s, died in Mumbai on February 15. He was ailing for some time and died at a Mumbai hospital, due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. He was also suffering from recurrent chest infection. He earned the title ‘Disco King’ thanks to his work on films such as Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal, Dance Dance, Commando to name a few.

Bengali cinema lost one of its greatest figures with the death of film-maker Tarun Majumdar on July 4. He was 91 and ailing from age-related illnesses. Majumdar was one of the last great stalwarts from the period known as the ‘golden age’ of Bengali cinema and his passing marked the end of an important chapter in Bengal’s cultural and entertainment history. The maker of such evergreen hits as Balika Badhu (1967), Shriman Prithviraj (1973), Dadar Kirti (1980), Bhalobasha Bhalobasha (1985), Apon Amar Apon (1990), and Alo (2003), Majumdar had remained one of the most revered and relevant directors for six decades.

Veteran Bengali actor Pradip Mukherjee, who immortalised the character of the protagonist in Satyajit Ray’s Jana Aranya (The Middleman), died on August 29 at a hospital in Kolkata. He was 76. The actor was admitted to a private hospital due to an infection in his lungs and shifted to a state-run hospital on later as his condition deteriorated. Pradip Mukherjee had acted in over 40 films – including Hirer Angti (The Diamond Ring, 1992) by Rituparno Ghosh and Mondo Meyer Upakshan (A Tale of a Naughty Girl, 2002) by Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

Abhishek Chatterjee, known for his works in Bengali films, passed away on March 24. He was 57-years-old. Abhishek who was keeping unwell for quite some time before his death suffered a major cardiac arrest. Abhishek Chatterjee made his debut with the Bengali film Pathbhola (1986), directed by Tarun Majumdar. He was seen alongside veterans such as Sandhya Roy, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Tapas Paul and Utpal Dutt. His other films include Ora Charjon, Tumi Koto Sundar, Surer Akashe, Toofan, Maryada, Amar Prem, Papi, Haraner Nat Jamai, Jeevan Pradip, Puroshottam Abirvab, Mayer Anchal, Arjun Aamar Naam and Sabuj Saathi, among others. The veteran actor also worked in television.

The actress passed away at a Kolkata hospital on October 31 morning after being unwell for quite some time. Married to actor Shankar Chakraborty, Sonali was a well-known face in TV serials and also acted in several movies. Her performance in Rachana Banerjee and Ferdous Ahmed-starrer Har Jeet (2002) was praised. She also played a key role in Bandhan (2004) alongside Jeet and Koel Mallick. However, she curtailed the number of her appearances on both small and big screens due to health issues. She had to be admitted to the hospital earlier this year.