In memoriam: Stars we lost in 2017

2017 saw many bright stars dim and voices fall silent, as the world lost some of its greatest talent. While some deaths took their natural course, a few tragic incidents reminded us of how depression can change things.

Here's a look at the lives that impacted us, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Girija devi



The eminent classical singer, popularly known as the 'Queen of Thumri' breathed her last on October 24 at the BM Birla Heart Research Centre in Kolkata. The 88-year-old had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Fondly called Appaji, Girija Devi represented the last of the greats of thumri singing in the Benaras gharana.

The youngest of three daughters, Girija Devi began her musical journey as a six-year-old. She went on to make her public debut in 1949 on All India Radio Allahabad, three years after she had married businessman Madhusudhan Jain (at the age of 15).

The mellifluous voice behind 'Ras Ke Bhare Torey Nain' was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1972, the Padma Bhushan in 1989.

In the year 2016, she finally received the much-delayed, Padma Vibhushan.

She also received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1977 and the Fellowship in the year 2010.

Vinod Khanna


(Image: BCCL)

The original heartthrob of Bollywood, Vinod Khanna passed away at the age of 70 on April 27. The 'Mere Apne' star was suffering from advanced bladder cancer.

The dashing Khanna was a man who stood out not just because of his good looks but also because of his presence.

He did films in his own style, he lived life on his own terms. He played it bad in films, at a time when his contemporaries - Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar - played the good boys.

Khanna who later went on to join politics and work his charm there too, was in every way cinema's true hero.

Also read: ​Vinod Khanna - the ultimate swag king

Tom Alter


(Image: BCCL)

Thomas Beach Alter succumbed to stage four skin cancer on September 29.

The 67-year-old veteran theatre and film personality was born to American parents in Mussoorie and grew up studying at Woodstock School, later moving on to complete his education at Yale University and Pune's Film and Television Institute.

In 1976 Alter made his Bollywood debut with director Ramanand Sagar's 'Charas'. He went on to act in over 300 films (including international projects like 'Gandhi' and 'One Night with the King') and did numerous theatre performances.

In 2008, he was bestowed with the Padma Shri for his service in the field of arts and cinema.

Did you know?: Alter was initially a sports journalist and was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV.

Shashi Kapoor


(Image: Imdb)

Shashi Kapoor, born Balbir Prithviraj Kapoor on March 18, 1938, passed away on December 4 after suffering from kidney problems for several years.

One of the first Indian crossover stars (he starred in various Merchant Ivory films such as 'The Householder', 'Shakespeare Wallah'), the charming and modest Shashi Kapoor had more than 60 Hindi films to his credit, most of them opposite the country's biggest stars.

A trained theatre actor, Kapoor was a vanguard whose contribution to the parallel cinema movement remains unmatched.

An icon, a star, a bad businessman but most importantly a wonderful human, Kapoor defined the times he lived in.

Also read: ​Shashi Kapoor: The charmer of Hindi films was also a vanguard of parallel cinema

Chester Bennington



The 41-year-old Linkin Park frontman was found dead at his private residence in Palo Verdes Estates in Los Angeles County on July 20. Believed to be a case of suicide, Bennington's tragic death left a hole in the hearts of music lovers across the world. Bennington was laid to rest in a private funeral in California.

The news of the iconic singer's death came soon after another suicide stunned the rock world - that of Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell on May 18.

In what can only be termed a co-incidence, Bennington ended his life on July 20, Cornell's birthday. In honour of Cornell and Bennington, the former singer's daughter Toni, sang 'Hallelujah' alongside the band OneRepublic.

Bennington passed away just a week before the scheduled start of his band's North American tour, which was then cancelled. Linkin Park also cancelled their appearance on 'Good Morning America'.

Hugh Hefner



The founder of Playboy magazine, known to have played a major role in the sexual revolution of the 1960s, died at his home - the Playboy Mansion on September 27.

The 91-year-old was buried next to Marilyn Monroe at the Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles at a spot that he had bought for $75,000 in 1992.

Born in a family of farmers in Nebraska, he went on to join the US Army in1944as an infantry clerk and drew cartoons for the Army newspaper. It was only in 1953, with $8,000 from 45 investors, including $1,000 from his mother, that he went on to launch the first edition of the adult entertainment 'Playboy' with cover girl Marilyn Monroe setting the bar for future bunnies. The issue of the magazine sold over 54,175 copies.

The man and mansion was often surrounded by controversies with stories gross treatment of the housemates by Hefner often doing the rounds.

Did you know?: Hefner who had an IQ of 152, holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving editor-in-chief of a magazine, for over 60+ years.