MUMBAI — Veteran Bollywood actress and singer Sulakshana Pandit passed away on Thursday at the age of 71. She had reportedly been unwell for an extended period and died at a Mumbai hospital. No official statement from the family had been released at the time of the report.
Pandit was a well-known face of Hindi cinema in the 1970s and 80s, recognized for both her acting roles and her distinctive singing voice. Born on July 12, 1954, in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, she came from a family deeply rooted in Indian classical and film music. She was the sister of actress Vijayta Pandit and composers Jatin and Lalit, and the niece of legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj.
Beginning her singing career at the age of nine, Pandit gained early recognition with the popular track “Saat Samandar Paar Se,” which she performed alongside Lata Mangeshkar in the 1967 film Taqdeer. She later won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Tu Hi Sagar Tu Hi Kinara” from the 1976 film Sankalp.
Pandit made her acting debut in 1975 with the film Uljhan and went on to appear in several successful movies, including Hera Pheri, Waqt Ki Deewar, Apnapan, and Khandaan. Throughout her career, she worked with major stars of the era, such as Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, and Shatrughan Sinha.
Her personal life had long been the subject of industry discussion, particularly her affection for actor Sanjeev Kumar. Reports suggested that after he rejected her marriage proposal, Pandit remained single for the rest of her life.
Her final playback contribution came in the film Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), with music composed by her brothers Jatin-Lalit.
Tributes from across the film and music world are expected in the coming days as colleagues and fans reflect on her artistic legacy. (Source: IANS)
