Final curtains in 2025: Hindi cinema bids farewell to iconic film personalities

As 2025 draws to a close, the Hindi film and television industry is reflecting on the loss of several well-known personalities whose work left a lasting mark on cinema and popular culture. The deaths of actors, singers and performers through the year brought periods of mourning and remembrance across the industry.

November 2025 proved to be a particularly difficult month. It began with concern after veteran actor Dharmendra was admitted to hospital following breathing complications.

Weeks later, the anxiety culminated in grief for the Deol family when Dharmendra passed away on 24 November, aged 89. Widely regarded as one of the defining stars of his era, his death marked the end of a long and influential chapter in Hindi cinema.

Earlier in the same month, the industry lost veteran actress and singer Sulakshana Pandit, who died on 7 November.

Known for her work alongside leading actors such as Vinod Khanna, Shashi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna, her passing added to the sense of collective loss in November.

October also witnessed the deaths of familiar faces from cinema and television. Actor Pankaj Dheer, known to television audiences for his portrayal of Karna, died on 15 October. Later in the month, actor and filmmaker Satish Shah, remembered for his role as Indravardhan Sarabhai in the sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, passed away on 25 October, further deepening the sense of loss within the industry.