Year-Ender 2020: From Sushant to Irrfan Khan, the Bollywood icons whom we said final goodbye in 2020

New Delhi: The year of losses – 2020 – brought with it a lot of grief with the entertainment industry marking the demise of some of its finest personalities.

Be it ‘James Bond’ legend Sean Connery, or Bollywood’s most celebrated icon Rishi Kapoor, the year kept dealing major blows with almost every fan losing at least one of their favourite entertainers.

As we now set to bid adieu to the year full of tragedies and losses, here’s a list of some of the greatest icons whose passing away left a void in the entertainment industry.

1. Sushant Singh Rajput

The rising star of the Indian film industry, Sushant Singh Rajput shocked the entire nation on June 14, when he was found dead in his Mumbai residence. Though his demise triggered a lot of controversies, fans continue to mourn the loss of the ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ star. He was 34.

2. Chadwick Boseman

The much-loved star of the Marvel Universe brought the famous character of T’Challa to life in ‘Black Panther.’ Boseman passed away on August 29, at an age of 43 after a four-year-long battle with colon cancer. He did not reveal his cancer diagnosis throughout the four-year-long battle and continued working. Only after he passed away did his team reveal his illness.

3. Rishi Kapoor

The charming lover boy and a member of the illustrious Kapoor clan, Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30, after a two-year-long battle with leukemia. The original ‘showman’ left behind a rich legacy of cinematic marvels spanning decades. He breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital at the age of 67.

4. Irrfan Khan

Kickstarting his career from the small screen, Irrfan Khan tasted success in both Bollywood as well as Hollywood. The versatile actor made the country laugh and weep through his epic portrayals. From ‘Life of Pi,’ to ‘Maqbool’ and from ‘Hindi Medium’ to ‘Piku,’ each of the characters portrayed by Khan continue to remain etched in the hearts of his fans. He breathed his last on April 29 after battling rare cancer at the age of 53.

5. Pandit Jasraj

The legendary classical vocalist who had a glorious 75-year-long musical career passed away on August 17 leaving behind a void in the Indian music industry. The demise of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan recipient, triggered sorrow in every countryman including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pandit Jasraj had passed at the age of 90 due to a cardiac arrest.

6. SP Balasubrahmanyam

The musical maestro who graced many decades with his melodious voice passed away on September 25 due to post-Covid recovery complications. The winner of six national awards for his soulful singing fought hard before finally succumbing to his health complications at an age of 74. He lent his voice in songs of several films like ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya,’ ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun!,’ ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’ and many more.

7. Saroj Khan

The dancing legend who choreographed some of the greatest dance performances in the history of Hindi cinema, Saroj Khan sent shockwaves to the entire country with her sudden demise on July 3 following a cardiac arrest. Khan was the first female choreographer in Bollywood and she is also known for mentoring the greatest of divas including Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

8. Sean Connery

The most recent loss of the entertainment industry happens to be the original ‘James Bond’ legend Sean Connery who passed away due to heart failure on October 31. The Scottish-born actor was an audience favourite for more than 40 years and one of the screen’s most reliable and distinctive leading men. Connery was the first to bring the character of James Bond to the screens with ‘Dr No’ in 1962.

While these are just a handful of celebrities that the entertainment Industry lost in the year 2020, there are many more including filmmaker Nishikant Kamat, actor Soumitra Chatterjee, musician Wajid Khan and actor Jagdeep who passed away this year.