In Memoriam: Cinema stars we lost in 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Dharmendra, Asrani, Manoj Kumar, Kamini Kaushal... 2025 was the year that Indian cinema lost some of its brightest and best, those who have passed away but will live on through their work in the movies that mirror the concerns of an evolving India. Here are some who we said goodbye to:
Dharmendra: One of the most loved stars with a filmography that featured classics such as "Sholay", "Anupama" and "Chupke Chupke", Dharmendra's death just days before his 90th birthday marked the end of an era in Hindi cinema.
Dharmendra died on November 24 after being in and out of hospital for over a month. Fans of Dharmendra, who is still considered one of the most good looking stars that the Hindi cinema ever produced, will get to see his last performance in Sriram Raghavan's "Ikkis". The film releases on January 1, 2026.
Manoj Kumar: A close friend of Dharmendra from his days of struggle and a star who redefined patriotic movies in Hindi cinema with films such as "Upkar", "Purab Aur Paschim" and "Kranti", Manoj Kumar died on April 4 this year after prolonged illness. He was 87. Both Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar shared a close bond and Dharmendra once revealed that he had almost abandoned his acting dreams but Manoj Kumar convinced him to stay back in Mumbai.
Govardhan Asrani: In the year that "Sholay" completed 50 glorious years of its release, the industry lost two of its most famous stars in the death of Dharmendra and Asrani.
Asrani, who memorably played the jailor with a colonial hangover in the early part of the movie, was 84. Not just "Sholay", Asrani left an indelible mark as a character artist in a series of movies, most memorably in "Chupke Chupke", "Abhimaan" and "Baton Baton Mein". He had a long innings of over 300 films in Hindi cinema.
Kamini Kaushal: One of Hindi cinema's most educated and earliest female stars, Kamini Kaushal died on November 14 at the age of 98. Kaushal, who worked with all the top stars of her era but most prominently with Dilip Kumar in "Shaheed", "Nadiya Ke Paar" and "Shabnam", began her career with 1946 film "Neecha Nagar". Other than movies, Kaushal was also an avid puppeteer and a writer.
: Singer and Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg's death at the age of 52 brought an unprecedented outpouring of grief from public in the state with lakhs attending his last rites. Garg, who had travelled to Singapore to attend the North East India Festival, died while swimming in the sea on September 19.
Satish Shah: The "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron" actor, who was loved for his roles in movies as well as TV shows, died due to kidney failure on October 25. He was 74. The actor memorably played Indravardhan opposite Ratna Pathak Shah in "Sarabhai vs Sarabhai" and professor Rasai in Shah Rukh Khan's "Main Hoon Na".
B. Saroja Devi: Legendary South Indian actor whose work spanned Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies, B Saroja Devi was known for her strong presence on the screen. She featured in movies such as "Paasamalar", "Kalyana Parisu", "Enga Veettu Pillai", "Palum Pazhamum", "Mahakavi Kalidasa", "Kittur Chennamma", "Jagadeka Veeruni Katha". She acted opposite MGR in over 20 films.
Sandhya Shantaram: A popular star of yesteryear Hindi and Marathi cinema, Sandhya Shantaram died at the age of 94 in October. Her most noted films are "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje", "Do Aankhen Barah Haath", "Navrang" and "Pinjra" -- all directed by popular filmmaker and husband V Shantaram.
Shefali Jariwala: Popular TV actor Shefali Jariwala shot to fame with her breakout appearance in the remix track "Kaanta Laga", and also appeared on several reality shows like "Bigg Boss", "Nach Baliye". Her untimely death at the age of 42 shocked fans.
Pankaj Dheer: Television star Pankaj Dheer, known for playing Karna in B R Chopra's "Mahabharat" and king Shivdutt in fantasy drama "Chandrakanta", died on October 15 following a battle with cancer. He was 68.
Sulakshana Pandit: Renowned singer and actress from Hindi cinema Sulakshana Pandit, known for her voice and roles in films of 1970s, passed away at 71 in November. She was the sister of actor Vijayta Pandit and famous music composer duo Jatin-Lalit.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
