Late composer Aadesh Shrivastava shared special relationship with Sulakshana Pandit, he was her…

The India(BHARAT)n film and music industry is currently in in deep mourning as it has lost yet another gem. Veteran singer-actress Sulakshana Pandit passed away on November 6, 2025, at the age of 71, after a prolonged illness. Known for her soulful voice and graceful screen presence, she was a rare artist who did both playback singing and acting during Bollywood’s golden decades of the 1970s and 1980s. Her death has left an irreplaceable void in the hearts of the audience, and she will always be remembered.

Sulakshana Pandit: Life and Career

Born on July 12, 1954, in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Sulakshana Pandit came from a pandit family, celebrated for its musical brilliance. She was the sister of the famous composer duo Jatin-Lalit, and her sisters included actress-singer Vijayta Pandit. Sulakshana began singing at just nine years old and made her playback debut in 1967 with Taqdeer, where she sang the hit song “Saat Samandar Paar Se” alongside the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. In 1976, she received the Filmfare Award for “Tu Hi Sagar Tu Hi Kinara” from Sankalp.

From Melodies to Movies

With her natural charm and expressive face, Sulakshana also transitioned from back of the camera to the front of the camera. She made her Bollywood debut in Uljhan in 1975, opposite Sanjeev Kumar, and went on to star in memorable films like Hera Pheri, Apnapan, Khandaan, and Waqt Ki Deewar. She worked with legends such as Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, and Shatrughan Sinha, and soon became a familiar face.

Sulakshana’s personal life

Speaking of her personal life, while she had everything in her professional life, her love life was unfulfilled and quite heartbreaking. She shared a deep bond with Sanjeev Kumar, her Uljhan co-star, but their story remained incomplete. After Sanjeev died in 1985, she never recovered emotionally and chose to remain unmarried.

How was she connected to Aadesh Shrivastava?

Aadesh Shrivastava was Sulakshana’s brother-in-law, and in the later years of her life, she used to live with her Vijayta Pandit, and brother-in-law, Aadesh Shrivastava. The couple had once planned to compose a devotional album for Sulakshana, but Aadesh’s untimely death halted those plans.

What is more surprising is that Sulakshana Pandit breathed her last breath on the same date as Sanjeev Kumar, November 6, exactly 40 years apart. While for a lot of people, this might be a mere coincidence, it speaks about their deep connection. Today, while her voice has fallen silent, her songs and performances will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans, friends and family.