From Nitin Desai to Gufi Paintal, celebs who bid adieu to world in 2023

New Delhi [India], December 31 (ANI): Many great faces who left a lasting impression on the audience passed away this year. They will always be recognised for their outstanding contribution. Their legacies will live on and inspire future generations.

As the year is about to end, it’s time to reflect on those who have left a legacy and indelible mark in the film industry.

Satish Kaushik

Veteran Bollywood icon Satish Kaushik passed away on March 9, 2023, at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack. The shocking news of his demise sent shockwaves throughout the Indian film industry, leaving his fans bereft.

His first film role came in 1983 with ‘Masoom’ where he played a small but memorable part. He went on to appear in several films in the 80s and 90s, including classics like ‘Ram Lakhan’ and ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’, among others.

However, it was his part as the endearing Calendar in the 1987 classic ‘Mr India’ established Satish Kaushik as a household celebrity. He penned the screenplay for the cult classic ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’ and directed popular films like ‘Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja’ and ‘Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain’. He has directed and produced several hit films, including ‘Tere Naam’ and ‘Milenge Milenge’.

Nitesh Pandey

Actor Nitesh Pandey, who was best known for his role as Dheeraj Kapoor in Rupali Ganguly’s famous TV drama ‘Anupamaa’, passed away at the age of 51. Born on January 17, 1972, he was known for his work in TV, theatre and cinema.

Nitesh appeared in shows such as ‘Tejas’, ‘Manzilein Apani Apani’, ‘Saaya’, ‘Astitva Ek Prem Kahani’, ‘and ‘Durgesh Nandini’. He also had a production house. He also acted in films like ‘Badhaai Do’, ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, among others. ‘Anupamaa’ and ‘Pyar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara’ are few of his last works. He died on May 23, 2023. Indeed, his passing away created a vacuum that can never be filled.

Aditya Singh Rajput

Actor Aditya Singh Rajput has worked in several TV shows and films. Born and brought up in Delhi, the actor made his name in the entertainment industry at a very young age. He took part in reality shows such as ‘Splitsvilla 9’. Other TV shows in which he participated include ‘Love’, ‘Aashiqui’, ‘Code Red’, ‘Aawaz Season 9’, ‘Bad Boy Season 4’, and others. He died in Mumbai on May 22, 2023, at the age of 32.

Vaibhavi Upadhyay

From working in TV shows such as ‘Left Right Left’, ‘CID’, and ‘Ishq Kills’ to movies like ‘CityLights’, Vaibhavi has created an everlasting impact with her acting skills. She became a household name with her role as Jasmine Mavani in the 2017 sitcom ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’.

Vaibhavi had also worked alongside Deepika Padukone in the ‘Chhapaak’ film in 2020 and was also seen in the movie ‘Timir’ (2023). She was seen in the web series ‘Zero KMS’ starring Naseeruddin Shah. The actor lost her life in a car accident in May 2023.

Gufi Paintal

Veteran actor Gufi Paintal was best known for appearing as Shakuni Mama in BR Chopra’s TV serial ‘Mahabharat’. Gufi has appeared in both TV shows and films. He was seen in ‘Bahadur Shah Zafar’, ‘Mahabharat’, ‘Kanoon’, ‘Om Namah Shivay’, ‘CID’, ‘Ssshhhh…Koi Hai’, ‘Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn’, ‘RadhaKrishn’ and ‘Jay Kaniya lal Ki’ among other shows. He made his debut with the 1975 film ‘Rafoo Chakkar’.

Following this, the actor appeared in other films, including ‘Dillagi’, ‘Desh Pardesh’, and ‘Suhaag’. Paintal also directed the movie ‘Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’, which sketches the life of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 16th-century devotee of Krishna. The veteran actor passed away on June 5. With his acting skills, he left an everlasting mark on people’s minds.

Javed Khan Amrohi

Javed Khan Amrohi started his acting career in the theatre in the 1970s and then later in films. He made his film debut with the movie ‘Jalte Badan’ in 1973 and later continued to play supporting roles and appeared in many films including ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, ‘Woh 7 Din’, ‘Tridev’ and ‘Aashiqui’. He was also known for his roles in ‘Andaaz Apna Apna’, ‘Ishq’, and ‘Lagaan’. He died on February 14, in Mumbai.

Mangal Dhillon

Actor Mangal Dhillon was best known for working in shows such as ‘Junoon’ and ‘Buniyaad’. The Faridkot-based actor was also a producer-director and writer. He was not only a big name in Bollywood and TV, but also in Punjabi films.

He worked in many Punjabi films and made a distinct identity for himself. Mangal Dhillon was seen in Rekha starrer ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’. He also worked in other movies including ‘Dayavan’, ‘Zakhmi Aurat’, ‘Vishwatma’, ‘Pyaar Ka Devta’, ‘ Amba’, ‘Toofan Singh’, ‘Dalaal’, and many more.

He was also part of well-known TV shows such as ‘Katha Sagar’, ‘Kismat’, ‘Ghutan’, ‘Rishta’, and ‘Param Vir Chakra’, among others. He played different characters on screen and always gave his best. He passed away on June 11, 2023.

Rio Kapadia

In his career, Kapadia has starred in several critically praised films with an impressive cast. He has appeared in films such as Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Happy New Year.’ He has also appeared in ‘Khuda Hafiz’, ‘Mardaani’, ‘Dil Chahta Hain’, and more films.

Apart from films, he also acted in several popular Indian daily soaps like ‘Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke’, ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, among others. He was also seen in ‘Made In Heaven Season 2’. He died on September 14, leaving behind a vacuum and many memories.

Nitin Desai

Desai was noted for his innovative studio design and had collaborated with filmmakers like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He was famed for his work in movies like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (2000), Lagaan (2002), Devdas (2003), Jodhaa Akbar (2008) and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015).

He had won three Filmfare Awards for Best Art Direction and four National Film Awards for Best Art Direction. He died on August 2. Indeed, his passing was a great loss for the film industry.

Rajkumar Kohli

The veteran film director was known for his films like ‘Lootera’, ‘Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahaani’, ‘Raaj Tilak’, ‘Naagin’, ‘Badle Ki Aag’ and ‘Pati Patni aur Tawaif’. He worked with actors like Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, and Shatrughan Sinha, as well as, actresses Reena Roy, and Anita Raj. Kohli died from a heart attack on November 24, at the age of 93.

Dinesh Phadnis

Dinesh was best known for his role as Inspector Fredricks, aka Freddy, in ‘CID’. He also acted in Hrithik Roshan-starrer film ‘Super 30’. He passed away on December 5 at a Mumbai hospital. He was 57.

Junior Mehmood

He has been featured in over 200 films in different languages. He was best known for movies like ‘Brahmachari’ (1968), ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970), ‘Parvarish’ (1977), and ‘Do Aur Do Paanch’ (1980). He was battling with stage four cancer and passed away in Mumbai on December 8. He was 67.

Pradeep Sarkar

Noted Bengali director Pradeep Sarkar made his debut in the Hindi film industry with the screen adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s ‘Parineeta’. Vidya Balan, Saif Ali Khan, and Sanjay Dutt played pivotal characters in the film. His last directorial on the big screen was ‘Helicopter Eela’ starring Kajol and Riddhi Sen in the lead roles.

He had directed ‘Laga Chunari Mein Daag’ starring Rani Mukherjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan, Kunal Kapoor, ‘Lafangey Parindey’ featuring Deepika Padukone and Neil Nitin Mukesh.

He directed web series namely, ‘Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala’, ‘Forbidden Love’, and ‘Arranged Marriage.’ His passing away left his close ones and the film industry in shock. He died on March 24 at the age of 67.