Beloved Bollywood Icon Sulakshana Pandit Passes Away at 71

On November 6, 2025, the entertainment industry mourned the passing of Sulakshana Pandit, a beloved Bollywood icon who was 71 years old. Pandit was a talented singer and actress who rose to prominence during the 1970s and 1980s.

Born in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, on July 12, 1954, Pandit started singing at the age of 9 and made her film debut in 1967. She went on to perform in numerous hit songs and movies, including the 1967 film Taqdeer, where she co-sang the popular track "Saat Samandar Paar Se" with legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Pandit's career reached new heights in 1976 when she won a Filmfare Award for the song "Tu Hi Sagar Tu Hi Kinara" from the movie Sankalp.

Pandit's acting career also flourished during this time, with roles in films like Hera Pheri, Apnapan, Khandaan, and Waqt Ki Deewar. She shared the screen with some of the biggest stars of her era, including Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, and Shatrughan Sinha.

Tragically, Pandit's life was marked by a deep admiration for actor Sanjeev Kumar, with whom she co-starred in the 1975 film Uljhan. Pandit fell in love with Kumar on the set, but he had feelings for Hema Malini, who rejected his proposal. Pandit later asked Kumar to marry her, but he turned her down. Devastated, Pandit never married and left the film industry after Kumar's death in 1985. Coincidentally, Pandit passed away on the same day as Kumar, November 6, 2025.