17 People We Will Miss in 2014

9. Rituparno Ghosh, 49Ghosh brought homosexuality out of the closet in Indian cinema, but it would be trite to confine him to the debate of sexual binaries. That undermines his role as one of the most prolific filmmakers and perhaps Bengal’s most celebrated since Satyajit Ray. The journey that began with Hirer Angti in 1992 ended with his untimely death in May, but left behind a legacy that will be unmatched for generations to come.

10. Lou Reed, 71 The Velvet Underground frontman and co-founder left a big mark on the way Rock music evolved. Founded in the ’60s, the group would gain cult following, with dark, explicit themes in the lyrics and experiments with sound. At the group, and later as a solo artiste, Reed would sometimes merge noise with music (‘Heroin’), and speech with song (‘Sweet Jane’, ‘Walk on the Wild Side’). 11. Christopher Martin-Jenkins, 67During his college days in Cambridge, Christopher Martin-Jenkins failed to win a blue on the field. He more than made up for it off it, crafting a chequered career in cricket journalism and commentary. Martin-Jenkins, or Major as he was known to the cricketing world, was part of BBC’s iconic Test Match Special team, delivering a fascinating ball-by-ball coverage interspersed with warmth and wit. He was recognised as one of the greatest voices of any sport.

12. Peter O’ Toole, 81His acting career began by chance, “…not out of burning ambition but because of all the wonderful-looking birds”. It was serendipitous, as he put up a stellar show in the Oscar-winning Lawrence of Arabia. He is often dubbed the unluckiest actor as he failed to win an Oscar from eight nominations in 2002, he received an honorary award.

13. Pran, 93 He was Hindi cinema’s most memorable villain in 2000, Stardust dubbed him ‘villain of the millennium’. He played his parts with great aplomb, using his mannerisms, glinting eyes and imposing voice to convey menace. At the peak of his career, he was among the highest paid—often commanding higher rates than the heroes. He switched to playing character roles in the later part of his career.

14. Manna Dey, 94 The Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan, and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was one of the four stalwarts (with Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar) who dominated Hindi film music from the 1950s to 1970s. His versatile voice rendered romantic ballads (‘Yeh raat bheegi bheegi’), qawwalis (‘Ae meri zohra jabeen’), classical-based (‘Laga chunri mein daag’) and foot-tapping numbers (‘Aao twist karein’) with equal élan.

15. Chinua Achebe, 82 The Nigerian writer was hailed as the father of modern African literature. His first novel, Things Fall Apart, is considered his most influential work and has been translated into over 50 languages. Much of his work deals with cultural conflict and challenges dark Western notions of Africa.

16. Shamshad Begum, 94 Among the first women playback singers in Hindi films, she worked with the top composers of her time. In a career spanning 35 years, the Padma Bhushan awardee delighted legions of fans with her sonorous voice and memorable songs that remain popular till this day: ‘Leke pehla pehla pyar’, ‘Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon’, ‘Chod Babul Ka Ghar’, ‘Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re’, to name a few.

17. Ganesh Pyne, 75 A reclusive man, Pyne was often described as “an artist’s artist”. His paintings explored existential themes around death, pain, alienation and loneliness rich in imagery and symbolism, his canvases were dark, dominated by ashy blues, browns and black. Pyne has received many awards and is present in many public and private collections.