With legendary musicians- Mehdi Hassan, Pandit RaviShankar, actors- Rajesh Khanna, Dara Singh, AK Hangal,Joy Mukerjee, filmmaker Yash Chopra and ace comedianJaspal Bhatti transcending to heaven, the world of artsand entertainment was left bereaved. Hindi Cinema lostits first superstar Rajesh Khanna and actor-wrestler DaraSingh to prolonged illness, while Hangal succumbed to oldage. Yash Chopra breathed his last after contractingdengue, a few days after celebrating his 80th birthday.

BAL THACKERAY: THE TIGER IS DEAD
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray passed away onNovember 17. Lakhs of mourners joined the Shiv Senafounder’s grieving family to bid him a tearful farewell. Asevident during several times in his life, the Thackerayphenomenon was in evidence once again in death as hebrought Mumbai to a complete halt.

VILASRAO DESHMUKH: MASS LEADERDIES
A mass leader, Union minister Vilarao Deshmukh wasgiven a tearful adieu by tens of thousands of grievingpeople at his native village from where he began hispolitical journey as an obscure sarpanch four decadesago.

IK GUJRAL PASSES AWAY
Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passedaway on November 30. He was 92. Gujral, who wasadmitted to the hospital on November 19 with a lunginfection, had been on dialysis for over a year. The PrimeMinister of the country for the year between 1997 and1998, he is best known for his ‘Gujral Doctrine’ thatproposed closer ties with India and her neighbours.

PONTY CHADHA MURDERED
Ponty Chadha was shot dead on November 17 in acontroversial shootout with brother Hardeep. The moversand shakers of politics, business and tinsel town paidtheir last respects to the liquor baron – It was the finalvalidation of Ponty’s massive clout and the larger-thanlifepersona he created single-handedly.

YASH CHOPRA: KING OF ROMANCE NO MORE
Noted director, screenwriter and producer YashChopra passed away at the age of 80. In a career spanningfive decades,Indian cinema’s ‘king of romance’ neverfailed to amaze the audience with his movies. His deathhas left a void in the industry which will never be filled.Chopra is also remembered for making the careers ofmany Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchanand Shah Rukh Khan

PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR: SITARMAESTRO DIESLegendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar passed awayon December 12 at the age of 92. The sitar maestroenjoyed worldwide popularity and was known for his indepthunderstanding of various styles and schools of music.

JASPAL BHATTI DIES IN ROAD ACCIDENT
Noted comedian and filmmaker Jaspal Bhatti, 57, diedin a road accident near Shahkot in the early hours onOctober 25, 2012. Bhatti along with his son Jasraj whowas on the wheel, and two others was coming toJalandhar from Bathinda for the promotion of his newfilm ‘Power Cut’ when the car hit a tree on the roadside.

RAJESH KHANNA: A SUPERSTARPASSES AWAY
Actor Rajesh Khanna passed away after a prolonged illness in Mumbai on July 18. The first superstar ofIndian film industry, he gave many memorable hits likeAnand, Kati Patang, Aradhana, Amar Prem, Safar,Bawarchi etc.

THE WORLD IS NOT THESAME WITHOUT THEMDR VERGHESE KURIEN: INDIA’SMILKMAN NO MORE
Dr Verghese Kurien did not like drinking milk, but asfather of the White Revolution, he made India into anation of milk drinkers . Often called India’s best knownmilkman, Kurien passed away on September 9. In the sixdecades he spent in Anand, he ensured India istransformed from a milk-deficient country into one ofthe world’s biggest milk producers.DARA SINGHThe original action hero of Indian cinema, Dara Singhpassed away on July 12, 2012. He was keeping unwell for along time. His most popular role was of Hanuman in theepic TV series Ramayan.

MEHDI HASSAN
The popular Pakistani singer and Ghazal maestroMehdi Hassan passed away on June 13, 2012. Thecelebrated singer had also lent his voice to many songs inIndian films.

JOY MUKHEJEE
Yesteryear actor Joy Mukhejee known for his romanticroles in films like Love in Tokyo, Shagird, Ek BarMuskurado and Phir Wahi Dil Laaya Hoon passed awayon March 9, 2012. Mukherjee’s neice Kajol attended hisfuneral.

ACHALA SACHDEV
Senior actress Achala Sachdev, popularly known as the’Zohra Jabeen’ of Bollywood (after her popular song ‘AeMeri Zohra Jabeen’ in Waqt) passed away on April 30,2012.Former Union Minister K C Pant, an eminent publicfigure and an able administrator, passed away at the ageof 81. He had served under late Prime Ministers IndiraGandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and switched to BJP in the late1990s. The son of Govind Ballabh Pant, a former UttarPradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister under latePrime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Pant held theportfolios of Defence, Finance, Energy and Steel amongothers. Pant also played the role of negotiator during theseparate Telangana agitation in the 1970s and wasinstrumental in reaching of an agreement called `MulkiRules` that gave prominence to recruitment of locals andended the agitation.