Current Affairs December 2017 - Deaths

1 - French rock star Johnny Hallyday died

France’s veteran rock star Johnny Hallyday passed away at age of 74 due to lung cancer. He was known for his American rock 'n' roll singing on songs such as “Tutti Frutti,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “C’est le Mashed Potatoes.” Hallyday had acted in more than 30 films and appeared on cover of magazine Paris Match many times. Around 100 million records of songs of Hallyday were sold. One of his super hit album was “Ça Ne Finira Jamais” (“It Will Never End”) of 2018. He was given tribute with rock-star funeral by hundreds of fans on the streets of Paris.

2 - Famous journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta died

Famous journalist Sukharanjan Sengupta died due to health issues at the age of 85. Sukharanjan Sengupta was known for his Bengali writing in Bengali dailies 'Jugantar' and 'Ananda Bazar Patrika’. He worked as professional journalist for more than 60 years. He served as journalist in Lok Sevak, Jana Sevak, Jugantar and Anandabazar Patrika. Sengupta’s cover story on Bangladesh liberation war was extensively appreciated. Sengupta was author of many books. He was honored with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award by 7^th edition of journalism awards.

3 - Lalji Singh, the father of DNA fingerprinting in India died

Veteran Indian scientist Lalji Singh passed away at the age of 70 due to heart attack. He was known as the father of DNA fingerprinting in India. Lalit Singh established centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics for all species and several diseases. He worked as director at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and Vice Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. Lalit Singh dedicated various research labs to India. Labs made for studying genetics and transgenic research.

4 - Actor-Director Neeraj Vora died

Actor-Director Neeraj Vora has passed away at the age of 54 years. He was reportedly in a coma from past 13 months after suffering from a massive heart-attack and brain stroke. Neeraj made his acting debut with Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984). he acted in several films like Rangeela, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Virasat, Mann, Satya, Mast, Pukar and Company. He directed Khiladi 420 and Phir Hera Pheri, the sequel to Hera Pheri.

5 - Bengali Singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay died

Noted Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away at the age of 82 years. Mr Mukhopadhyay was conferred with the `Sangeet Samman` award in 2012. His popular songs are "E kon sakal", "Tomar Sange Dekha Na Hole", "Aamar Swapan Kinte Paare" and "Bondhuya Amar Chokhe Jal Enechhe" among many. He had learnt music under the guidance of doyens of Bengali light classical music Chinmoy Lahiri and Sudhin Dasgupta.

6 - Veteran actor Partha Mukhopadhyay passed away

Veteran actor Partha Mukhopadhyay, who had acted in many Bengali classics, passed away at the age of 70 years. Mukhopadhyay had acted in classics like Atithi, Balika Badhu, Amar Prithivi, Baghbandir Khela, Agniswar and had made his mark as a character actor in 1970s and 1980s. He had the distinction of having acted in films helmed by renowned directors such as Tapan Sinha, Tarun Majumdar and Goutam Ghosh. The Bengal state government had conferred Partha Mukhopadhyay with a special award for his contribution to Bengali films.

7 - Legendary musician Robbie Malinga passed away

South African music legend, Robbie Malinga, passed away at the age of 49 years. The musician is known for his hit songs such as, ‘Sobabili’, ‘Mthanda’ and ‘Baby Please’. He is responsible for shaping the careers of artists like Brown Dash, Kabelo, Arthur Mafokate, Izinyoka, Mzekezeke and Sbu of AmaLawyer fame. He had been awarded with African Music Award for Best Remix of the Year and South African Music Award for Best Produced Album.

8 - The animator of Bugs Bunny, Bob Givens, died

Bob Givens, best known for redesigning Bugs Bunny, passed away at the age of 99 years. In a career spanning over 60 years, he worked as an animator for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros, and Hanna-Barbera. Other characters he illustrated over his six-decade career included Tom & Jerry, Daffy Duck, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Popeye. He's also known for his work as a storyboard artist on the TV series Linus! The Lion Hearted.