Achala Sachdev : The ” Zohara Jabeen ” of ” Waqt ” Fades Away

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           May 07 , 2012           00.55         A.M. I was busy writing my pending travel diaries of Madhya Pradesh visit , when the news came of the death of Achala Sachdev . She died in Pune on April 30 , 2012 at the age of 91 [...]

Joy Mukherjee : Some Sepia – Toned Memories

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           APRIL 16 , 2012           01.15 A.M. Joy Mukherjee , a popular actor of yesteryear , mainly 60s , died on March 09 , 2012 in a Mumbai hospital at the age of 73 . Let me admit in the beginning that I was never a fan of Joy Mukherjee . [...]

Ravi : Unsung Music Maestro

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           MARCH 14 , 2012           02.30 A.M. I do know and would like to affirm that common people and connoisseurs , both remember all the following songs of Hindi films : Darshan Do Ghanshyam Nath Mori Ankhiyan Pyasi Re ………………. Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho Ya Aaftab Ho ………………………… Husnwale Tera Jawab [...]

Al – Vidaa Shahryar Saheb !

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           FEBRUARY 18 , 2012           01.45 A.M. A renowned poet of Urdu language , Shahryar a.k.a. Akhlaq Mohammad Khan , who also won Jnanpith Award in 2008 for his contribution to Urdu literature , died on February 13 , 2012 in Aligarh , Uttar Pradesh . He was suffering from lung [...]

Adieu Sharada Dwivedi : A Historian Becomes History

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           FEBRUARY 11, 2012           02.45 A.M. It is sad and depressing that of late , I have to write so many obituaries . Last quarter of 2011 was full of sudden and sad demise of the so many eminent people of [...]

Raj Kanwar : A Journey From ” Deewana ” to ” Sadiyaan “

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           FEBRUARY 05 , 2012           11.15 P.M. Death is always painful . It is more painful if a young life is lost . I was shocked when I heard about the sad demise of Mr. Raj Kanwar . He died on February 03 , 2012 at the age of  51 in [...]

Adieu Nikhat Kazmi : A Film Critic Par Excellence

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JANUARY 23 , 2012           11.15 P.M. Renowned film critic of Times of India , Nikhat Kazmi died on January 20 , 2012 in Delhi . She was only 53 at the time of her death and was suffering from breast cancer . Born in 1958 in Allahabad , Uttar Pradesh , [...]

Svetlana Alliluyeva : From Russia With Love

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JANUARY 14 , 2012           02.55 A.M. Svetlana Alliluyeva , daughter of Soviet Communist dictator Josef Stalin , died on November 22 , 2011 at the age of 85 . She died in Wisconsin , U. S. A. I missed the news then . When I was going through the bunch [...]

Death of Kalpana ; A ” Gul Badan ” Ceases to Exist

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JANUARY 12 , 2012           07.10 P. M. On January 04 , 2012 Kalpana , yesteryear actor a.k.a. Kalpana Mohan , died in a Pune hospital at the age of 65 . She was battling cancer for 5 years . I [...]

Jagjit Singh Ji ! Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh , Kahan Tum Chale Gaye ?

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA             DECEBER 31 , 2011                   7.00 P.M. On October 09th , when I came to my institute and started going through all the twitter postings , I found a tweet , to my shock and dismay, [...]