New Year Specials: Gone but not forgotten
A tribute to those who left us in 2010
‘The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows,’ said Socrates. But there are some people who always live in the hearts of others. Even though they have left us forever, they would never be forgotten. As a new dawn and a new year approaches, we take a look at some people who will remain in our hearts forever. His loss affected the Tamil and Malayalam industry alike! An actor who also made a mark as script and screenplay writer, dialogue writer and director, he was known for his portrayal of character roles in Tamil films. He was at ease with comedy, too. Yes, we are talking about Cochin Haneefa. He passed away on February 2 due to chronic gastro-intestinal problems. Haneefa had acted in over 300 films in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. Madarasapattinam was his last film in Tamil. Then came the shocker, when veteran actor Murali died of a massive cardiac arrest on September 8. He was just 46. Murali was last seen in his son’s debut flick Baana Kathadi. Murali, son of Kannada film director G. Siddalingiah, started his acting career in Kannada films, but it was his stint in Tamil cinema that fetched him fame and recognition. The talented actor made it big in Tamil cinema with his unique style and ability to blend romance, pathos and comedy in the right measure.
Swarnalatha, playback singer, known for her incredible voice dynamics, passed away on September 11 following a lung infection. She was 37. She won a National award for ‘Poraale Ponnuthaayi’ from Karuthamma and a State award for ‘Povoma Oorkolam’ from Chinna Thambi. She had sung songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali and Badaga for leading composers, including MSV, Ilayaraaja and A.R. Rahman. Veteran cinematographer P.N. Sundaram, who has been a part of many memorable films, passed away at the age of 82. He had filmed over 200 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.
Former AIADMK MP and comedian S.S. Chandran passed away on October 8 at the age of 69. He had acted in over 700 films, having started at the age of 15. Other noted celebrities laid to rest in 2010 include Malayalam actor Sreenath, legendary Telugu film lyricist and National award winner Veturi Sundararama Murthy, art director Angamuthu, director K.S. Ravi, music director Chandrabose and veteran director B.S. Ranga.