New Delhi: The year 2025 has been a heartbreaking one for the Indian entertainment industry, which had to say goodbye to several beloved icons, from Dharmendra and Pankaj Dheer to Zubeen Garg and Sulakshana Pandit. Their deaths have left a void, though their work lives on in the hearts of fans. Here’s a look at 10 stars we lost this year.
1. Dharmendra
Bollywood star Dharmendra died in Mumbai on 24 November, just a few days before his 90th birthday. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he appeared in over 300 films. Known as Bollywood’s ‘He-Man’, he leaves behind an evergreen filmography, including Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam, Phool Aur Patthar, and Anupama. Sriram Raghavan’s much-anticipated war drama Ikkis will be Dharmendra’s final big-screen appearance. The film, starring Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda in the lead, is now set to release on 1 January 2026.
2. Zubeen Garg
Playback singer, composer, and musician Zubeen Garg, who lent his voice to Bollywood, Assamese, and Bengali songs, died on 19 September in Singapore. The voice of the hit Hindi song Ya Ali and the Assamese favourites Anamika and Mayabini, Garg was in the Singapore for the North East India Festival. He died by drowning while swimming off a Singapore island, and a chargesheet has now been filed by Assam police SIT accusing four people of murder. News of his death triggered an outpouring of grief in Assam, with three days of mourning declared officially.
3. Manoj Kumar
Veteran actor Manoj Kumar began acting in 1957 and went on to become synonymous with patriotic movies, with a string of different characters called ‘Bharat’. Some of his best-known films include Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Purab Aur Paschim, and Kranti. He died on 4 April at the age of 87 in Mumbai. Kumar was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and was being treated for heart-related complications. The secondary cause of death was decompensated liver cirrhosis. He received the Padma Shri in 1992, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015.
4. Satish Shah
Known for his work across film and television, especially his comedic talent, Satish Shah delivered memorable performances in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Main Hoon Na, and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. The 74-year-old died of a heart attack on 25 October. Shah had no children, but at his funeral, his onscreen sons stepped up, with Rajesh Kumar (Roshesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai) shouldering his body, and Sumeet Raghvan (Sahil in the same show) acknowledging condolences.
5. Govardhan Asrani
Known simply as Asrani, the veteran actor and comedian died at 84 after a prolonged illness. He was hospitalised for five days in Bharatiya Arogya Nidhi Hospital. He made his Bollywood debut with the 1967 film Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan and also acted in several Gujarati films as a lead. One of the most memorable roles played by Asrani was that of a jailer in Sholay. His other films included Amar Akbar Anthony, Bawarchi, Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Bol Bachchan.
6. Shefali Jariwala
The ‘Kaanta Laga’ girl, Shefali Jariwala died on 27 June from a cardiac arrest at the age of 42. She was rushed to the hospital by her husband, but was declared dead on arrival. Police have said that consuming various medicines, including anti-aging tablets, on an empty stomach may have caused a drop in her blood pressure and contributed to her death. She was last seen in Bigg Boss Season 13.
7. Pankaj Dheer
Popular television and Bollywood actor Pankaj Dheer died on 15 October, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. His funeral was held in Mumbai the same day. He was best known as Karna in Mahabharat, and also acted in shows such as Chandrakanta, Badho Bahu, Zee Horror Show, Kanoon, and Sasural Simar Ka. In films, he was part of the cast in Soldier, Andaz, Baadshah, and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge. His wife Anita Dheer is a costume designer. Their son Nikitin Dheer is also an actor, famous for his roles in Chennai Express, Jodhaa Akbar, and Sooryavanshi.
8. Mukul Dev
Actor Mukul Dev, known for roles in Son of Sardaar, R… Rajkumar, and Jai Ho, died on 23 May. He was 54. His brother Rahul Dev said Mukul was in the ICU for eight and a half days and that, medically, it was a result of “poor eating habits”, including not having any food for several days. Mukul also acted in television shows such as Gharwali Uparwali, Kasshish, Ssshhhh… Phir Koi Hai, and Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan. In his final years, he had largely moved away from the public eye.
9. Sulakshana Pandit
Actor and singer Sulakshana Pandit died on 6 November at 71. She was among the rare female artistes in Hindi cinema who sang and acted with equal skill. The daughter of classical vocalist Pratap Narain Pandit, she was nine when she sang ‘Saat Samundar Paar Se’ in the 1967 film Taqdeer with Lata Mangeshkar. Her popular songs include ‘Jaana Kahan Hai’ (Chalte Chalte), ‘Somwar Ko Hum Mile’ (Apnapan), and ‘Chal Chal Kahin Akele Mein’ (Salaakhen).
10. Rishabh Tandon
Singer, songwriter, and composer Rishabh Tandon, known on stage as Faqeer, died on 22 October after a heart attack in Delhi, where he had travelled to spend Diwali with his family. His popular songs include the 2022 track Yeh Aashiqui, Faqeer ki Zubaani, Chaand Tu, and the soulful Ishq Fakeerana.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)