In Memoriam: Indian cinematic stars who faded away in 2020

Some bowed out of old age, others because illness felled them and there were also those unable to bear the challenges of everyday life, particularly in a pandemic that hit so many lives and livelihoods. The Indian entertainment industry said sayonara to many stars big and small. Here are some of them as curated by news agency PTI:

Nimmi | On March 25, the day India went into lockdown to ward off Covid-19, yesteryear star Nimmi died following a prolonged illness. The 88-year-old, whose real name was Nawab Banoo, worked in the 1950s and 1960s with films such as

Irrfan Khan | The fount of talent who breathed life into a bewildering variety of roles and was recognised abroad just as much as he was at home lost his battle with a rare form of cancer on April 29. Irrfan, India’s international actor-star of “The Lunchbox”, “Life of Pi” and “The Namesake” was just 54. Credit: PTI Photo

Rishi Kapoor | On April 30, just as the entertainment world was coming to terms with the death of Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor slipped away, also of cancer. He was 67. The star who shone brightly for five decades, carrying forward the legacy of the famed Kapoors, began with “Bobby” in 1973, danced his way through innumerable romances and then moved into character roles in films such as “Mulk” and “Do Dooni Chaar”. Credit: AFP Photo

Yogesh | The lyricist broke into the Hindi film industry with the introspective ''Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye'' and ''Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli

Basu Chatterjee | The veteran director, who chronicled the everyday lives of middle-class India with humour and empathy in films such as “Rajinigandha”, “Baaton Baaton Mein” and “Chitchor”, died on June 4. He was 93. He died just five days after the death of his frequent collaborator Yogesh. Credit: Wikimedia Commons Photo

Sushant Singh Rajput | On June 14, the 34-year-old star of

Saroj Khan | Bollywood’s feisty ‘Masterji’ who choreographed more than 2,000 songs, including

Jagdeep | The comic actor, who will always be remembered as Soorma Bhopali from “Sholay” died on July 9 at the age of 81. Jagdeep, whose real name was Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed Jafri, started his journey in cinema as a child actor in 1951 with

S P Balasubrahmanyam | The celebrated playback singer died on September 25 at a Chennai hospital due to Covid-19 complications. The 74-year-old singer, popularly known as SPB, built a five-decade career in film and stage music world with hits in 16 languages, many in Tamil and his mother tongue Telugu. Credit: PTI Photo

Bhanu Athaiya | On October 15, veteran costume designer and India's first Oscar winner passed away at her Mumbai home at the age of 91. Athaiya won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in Richard Attenborough's 1983 epic “Gandhi”, along with John Mollo. In a career of more than five decades and over 100 films, Athaiya won two National Awards -- for Gulzar's mystery drama

Soumitra Chatterjee | On November 15, the actor who transcended the boundaries of language, state and country to take Indian cinema to the world, died from post-Covid-19 complications in a Kolkata hospital. The 85-year-old, also known as Satyajit Ray’s alter ego, was one of India’s most well-known actors, feted for his performance in classics such as “Charulata” and “Ghaire Baire”. But he was more than just a Bengali star and more than just about Ray, continuing to write, critique and act till the end. His death led to an outpouring of grief in his hometown Kolkata with thousands lining the streets for a last glimpse as the cortege wounds its way through the city. Credit: PTI Photo