Sulakshana Pandit, veteran actress and singer, passes away at 71 in Mumbai, remembered for her impactful performances and poignant career trajectory.
Renowned singer and actress Sulakshana Pandit passed away in Mumbai at the age of 71. Sulakshana was one of the few artists in Hindi cinema who was not only a brilliant singer but also a good actress. However, her film career was short and filled with tragedy. She lost love, family, and loved ones in her life and eventually moved in with her sister Vijayta Pandit and the late Aadesh Srivastava.
Sulakshana was born into a musical family. She was the niece of renowned classical singer Pandit Jasraj and the daughter of Pandit Pratap Narayan Pandit. She began singing at the age of just 9. At that time, she sang on stage with legends like Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. This marked the beginning of her illustrious career.
Sulakshana's first big break came when she sang the song, Saat Samundar Paar Ke with her idol, Lata Mangeshkar, in the film Taqdeer (1967) at the age of nine. She subsequently delivered numerous hits, including Jaana Kahan Hai (Chalte Chalte), Somwar Ko Hum Mile (Apnapan), and Chal Chal Kahin Akele Mein (Salakhein).
Sulakshana was one of seven siblings. Her brothers, Jatin and Lalit, are known as a famous music composer duo. Her sisters, Maya, Sandhya, and Vijayta Pandit, were also involved in the film industry. Sandhya was murdered in 2012, but Vijayta never told Sulakshana about it, fearing she would be unable to bear the news.
Sulakshana's life was most deeply affected by her unrequited love. She made her acting debut in the 1975 film Uljhan, starring opposite Sanjay Kumar. It was during this film that Sulakshana fell in love with him. However, Sanjeev Kumar's heart still beat for Hema Malini, and he rejected her love.
Sulakshana revealed in an interview that she proposed to Sanjeev at a temple. “One day, after his bypass operation, we had gone to a Hanuman mandir in Delhi. I told Sanjeevji that I loved him and asked him to put sindoor in my parting. I asked him to marry me so that I could look after him. But he refused, saying he could never forget his first love,” she said. After Sanjeev died in 1985, Sulakshana was devastated and went into depression. She never married.
During her career, Sulakshana worked with major stars such as Vinod Khanna, Feroz Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Shashi Kapoor, and Rajesh Khanna. She acted in more than six films with Jeetendra. But gradually, her film career came to a halt, and she withdrew from films.
In 2006, she began living with her sister Vijayta and brother-in-law Adesh Srivastava. After Adesh died in 2015, Vijayta took full responsibility for Sulakshana. Vijayta said in an interview, Now it's my turn to take care of her. On November 6, 2025, Sulakshana suffered a heart attack while on her way to the hospital, which led to her death.
Don’t Miss Out on the Latest Updates.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter Today!
Enroll for our free updates
