The 20s of our lifetime have been a very tumultuous decade thus far. 2021 was a year of reprieve, with stuttered steps towards the reopening of the world. The entertainment industry got a much-needed break, with the theatres opening to limited capacity, but throughout the year they also suffered massive losses with some legends and shining stars passing away due to prolonged illness, COVID- related complications and other reasons.
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan popularly known as Dilip Kumar passed away on July 1, after a long battle with prostate cancer. His enduring legacy lives on with his name etched in the history books, among the greatest thespians, due to his seminal work in movies like ‘Devdas’ and ‘Mughal e Azam’. He is credited for bringing realism to Indian cinema.
Puneeth Rajkumar
Celebrated Kannada actor, ‘Power Star’, Puneeth Rajkumar succumbed to major cardiac arrest on October 29. He was well known for movies such as Raajakumara, Chakravuyha and Power. He was 46.
Surekha Sikri
National-award-winning actress Surekha Sikri passed away on July 16. She did justice to many roles in film, television and theatre. Winning much critical acclaim for her movie ‘Badhai Ho’ in 2018, she was also known for her roles in ‘Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani’ and ‘Balika Vadhu’.
Shravan Rathod
Composer Shravan Rathod of the Nadeem- Shravan duo passed away due to post-COVID complications after suffering from cardiomyopathy with multiple organ failure on April 22. He was 66.
Sidharth Shukla
Sidharth Shukla‘s promising rise to stardom came to an unfortunate halt on September 2 due to a sudden heart attack. He was 40. The much-beloved actor had starred in ‘Balika Vadhu’, ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’, ‘Broken But Beautiful 3’ and was also the winner of Bigg Boss Season 13.
Anupam Shyam
Veteran actor, Anupam Shyam passed away on August 8 due to kidney infection. The actor is known for appearances in films like ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Bandit Queen’.
Ghanshyam Nayak
Known for playing the much-beloved character of Nattu Kaka in ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashmah’, he passed away on October 3 after a long battle with cancer.
Amit Mistry
Known for his roles in ‘Bandish Bandits’, ‘Ek Chalis Ki Last Local’, ‘Kya Kehna’, Amit Mistry passed away on April 23 at the age of 47.
Rajiv Kapoor
Actor, director, producer, Rajiv Kapoor was known for his hit movie ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’. The youngest son of Raj Kapoor died of Cardiac Arrest on February 2.
Bikramjeet Kanwarpal
Appearing in several films, TV shows and web series like ‘Rocket Singh’, ‘2 States’, ‘Page 3’, ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ and Anil Kapoor’s 24, Bikramjeet Kanwarpal breathed his last on May 1. He passed away at the age of 52 due to Covid 19 complications.
Bramha Mishra
The Mirzapur actor was found dead at his home in Mumbai on December 3. Best known for portraying Lalit in the popular series was suspected to have died of a heart attack. He was 36.
Raj Kaushal
The filmmaker Raj Kaushal passed away on June 30 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He is survived by his wife and TV presenter Mandira Bedi and children Veer and Tara. After assisting Mukul Anand, he helmed three films ‘Pyaar Mein Kabhie Kabhie’, ‘Shaadi Ka Ladoo’ and ‘Anthony Kaun Hai’.
Arvind Trivedi
Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who played Ravan in Ramanand Sagar’s 1987 iconic TV series Ramayan, passed away on October 8 after suffering a heart attack. He was 82. Trivedi was also suffering from age-related illnesses.
Yusuf Husain
Veteran actor Yusuf Husain has passed away due to COVID-19 complications while undergoing treatment at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai on October 31. He acted in movies like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, ‘Dhoom’, ‘Apahran’, ‘Vivah’, ‘O My God!’ and ‘Krissh 3’ and ‘Raees’, among others
