New Delhi: From superstar Sridevis untimely death to demise of Marvel creator Stan Lee, the year of 2018 was a tough year for Bollywood and Hollywood as the industries have lost some of the best known and well-loved figures.
So before welcoming the new year, let’s remember some of those “unforgettable” names we have lost and celebrate their contribution to cinema, music and art.
·Sridevi
February 24, 2018 would always be considered a dark day for the Indian film fraternity as on this date, the world woke up to the sad news that Sridevi, Bollywood’s first female superstar is no more.
The “Chandni” star, who was in Dubai for a family wedding, died aged 54 accidentally drowning in a bath tub in a hotel, leaving the film industry, her family and legions of fans in a state of shock.
Though she is no more, she will always be remembered for her remarkable work in Indian cinema.
Born in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu on August 13, 1963, Sridevi began her career at the age of four in the devotional film “Thunaivan”. That marked the beginning of a journey in filmdom that saw her work across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi productions, leading her to become one of the most formidable actresses of the 1980s and 1990s in Bollywood — in fact, the only female “superstar” the industry has seen.
And for her great contribution to the country’s art and cinema, she was honoured with the National Award and Padma Shri.
The year, no doubt left her fans in grief and tears with her sudden death, but also surprised them with the launch of the icon’s elder daughter Janhvi Kapoor in Hindi cinema, bringing shades of Sridevi back onscreen.
·Stan Lee
Stan Lee, a man who revolutionised comic books and created superheroes characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died on November 12.
Born as Stanley Lieber on December 28, 1922, Lee began his career at what was then Timely Comics in 1939. Over the years he was a writer,editor and occasional illustrator. He joined the Marvel Comics in 1961.
He often made appearances at comic book conventions and lectured at colleges. Lee continued to play an important role as Marvel transitioned into television during the 1980s, serving as narrator on animated series like “Incredible Hulk”.
Lee also made cameos in a total of 26 movies, beginning with “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk” in 1989 and ending with 2018’s “Venom”.
Before his death, Lee completed cameos in several upcoming films, including one for Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet”.
He is survived by his daughter Joan Celia “J.C.” Lee.
·Rita Bhaduri
Veteran actress Rita Bhaduri took her last breath on July 17 this year. She was 62 when she died of kidney ailment.
With a career spanning over five decades, Rita played important supporting parts in movies like “Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa”, “Kya Kehna”, “Dil Vil Pyar Vyar” and “Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon”. She also featured in Gujarati movies.
On the TV front, her credits include popular shows like “Hasratein”, “Sarabhai vs Sarabhai”, “Khichdi”, “Ek Nayi Pehchaan”.
She was last seen in the serial “Nimki Mukhiya” in which she played the role of a grandmother.
·Aretha Franklin
Legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who got the epithet ‘Queen of Soul’, died in August after battling serious health conditions. She was 76.
Franklin rose to fame with the release of her first album, “Songs of Faith”, in 1956, which scored regional hits with two gospel songs and occasionally touring with The Soul Stirrers, whose star was Sam Cooke.
In a professional career that spanned more than half a century, Franklin’s songs were not just chart-toppers, but also gave out a message.
Her song “Respect” was a call to arms, while “(You make me feel like) A natural woman” was an earthy expression of sexuality and “Think” was a rallying cry for women fed up with loutish men. She even won a Golden Globe award for “Never gonna break my faith”.
The singer’s final public performance was last November, when she sang at an Elton John AIDS Foundation gala in New York.
·Mohammed Aziz
“My name is Lakhan” fame singer Mohammed Aziz died on November 27 following a cardiac arrest. He was 64.
Born in West Bengal as Syed Mohammed Aziz-un-Nabi in July 1954, he started his career as a restaurant singer in Kolkata till he got a singing break in a Bengali film, “Jyoti”, before he shifted to Mumbai and sang for the Hindi film “Ambar” (1984).
Later, he was spotted by music director Anu Malik and got his first major breakthrough in Bollywood with the song “Mard Taangewala” (“Mard”, 1984).
Subsequently, he sang for top music directors like Naushad, O.P. Nayyar, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri, R.D. Burman, Rajesh Roshan, Ravindra Jain, Raam-Laxman, Usha Khanna, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin-Lalit, Aadesh Shrivastava and others.
·Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain, the celebrity chef, storyteller and writer who took TV viewers around the world to explore culture and cuisine, shocked everyone with his sudden death.
He died on June 8 and suicide came out as the cause of his death.
Bourdain was a master of his crafts — first in the kitchen and then in the media. Through his TV shows and books, he explored the human condition and helped audiences think differently about food, travel and themselves.
He advocated for marginalised populations and campaigned for safer working conditions for restaurant staffs.
Before his death, Bourdain was shooting for his TV show “Parts Unknown”.
·Nargis Rabadi (Shammi Aunty)
Nargis Rabadi, popularly known as ‘Shammi Aunty’ in the industry, passed away on March 6. She was a veteran actor who appeared in more than 200 films.
Having started her journey in 1940s with her first film “Ustad Pedro”, Nargis later starred in films like “Coolie No. 1”, “Mardon Wali Baat” and “Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi”.
She became a popular character artiste portraying supporting roles of aunt, granny, elder spinster in the family.
The late actor also appeared in many popular television serials such as “Dekh Bhai Dekh”, “Zabaan Sambhal Ke”, “Shriman Shrimati”, “Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh” and “Filmi Chakkar”.
· Mrinal Sen
Veteran filmmaker Mrinal Sen, known for his contribution to Bengali parallel cinema, died on Sunday at his residence. He was 95 and he died of old age complications, said his family member.
Born in 1923, in the town of Faridpur, now in Bangladesh, Sen made his first feature film, “Raat Bhore”, in 1955
He was the National Award-winning director and recipient of Padma Bhusan award. He had also been conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2003. He made his final feature film “Aamaar Bhuvan” in 2002.
IANS