Screen has provided this summary of the Hindi Film Personalities that passed away in 2004.
http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.ph ... nt_id=9774

As screen web page of this article may not be avail later on, I'm pasting it here:

Remembrance

Posted online: Friday, January 28, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

The year 2004 lost some very prominent personalities of the Hindi film industry.
Screen pays tribute to a few of them ...

Homi Wadia
Homi Wadia, the last living founder of the Film Producers Guild of India, died in Mumbai on December 10. He was 94. Wadia was one of the founders of the Film Producers Guild way back in 1954.

B Nagi Reddy
Dadasaheb Phalke award winner B Nagi Reddy died in Chennai at the age of 92. Right from his first Telugu film Shavukaruin the early ’50s, Reddy’s films like Pathala Bhairavi, Pellichesi Choodu, Maya Bazaar, Missiamma, Kalyanam Pannipaar, Gundamma Katha, Manithan Maravillai, Enga Veettu Pillai, Ram Aur Shyam, Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani and Shriman Shrimati always carried a social message for the audience. Majority of his films were mythologicals and social pictures. His Julie (also remade in Hindi), directed by Sethumadhvan, was a big hit in the South. He took over Vauhini Studios in Chennai and revamped it as Vijaya-Vahuni Studios. He also set up the Vijaya Gardens which was once the hot spot of filmmakers. Vijaya Hospitals, owned by Reddy, gives free treatment to the needy.In the 50’s, he launched Chandamama, the children’s magazine that was published in 18 languages including English.

Reddy held the post of the president twice in the Film Federation of India and was four times president of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce . Due to ill health, he quit production.

Mb Samant
MB Samant, the oldest partner of Bombay Publicity Services, died on October 13 at the age of 91. He had distributed and produced several Marathi films under the banner of Navchitra Films. He was also President of Cine Advertisers Association.

Ms Subbulakshmi
Renowned Carnatic singer, MS Subbulakshmi, passed away on December 11 following cardiac arrest. She was 88. Born as Kunjamma in the temple city of Madurai in 1916, Subbulakshmi, or MS as she was popularly known, had acted in a few Tamil films when young. Her first film, Sevasadanam was released in 1938, followed by Shakunthalai, Savithri and Meera. She was the first woman to be awarded the ‘Sangitha Kalanidhi’. She also received the ‘Bharat Ratna’, India’s highest civilian award, in 1996.



Nirupa Roy
Kokila Kishorechandra Balsara, popularly known as Nirupa Roy, passed away in October at her Napean Sea Road residence in Mumbai. She was 83 and had acted in over 200 films in the past five decades.

Starting out as goddesses in mythological films in the ’40s, she moved to playing queen in costume dramas like Rani Roopmati and Samrat Chandragupta in the ’50s. Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen marked a milestone in her career.

Nirupa Roy began playing the screen mother as Dev Anand’s mother in Munimji. She also played mother to Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and others.

Suraiya
Suraiya, the reclusive singer-actress, passed away on January 31, 2004.

‘Tu mera chand mein teri chandni ...’, in the earthy voice of Suraiya, created a rage and captured the enigma and romance of the age. It was one of the many songs that earned her the sobriquet of the ‘singing star’ and hard-core admirers from Dev Anand to Dharmendra.

A contemporary of Noorjehan, the Lahore-born Suraiya was a talent-spotted by composer Naushad. After doing films as a child artiste, she did programmes on radio with Raj Kapoor. Hearing her rich voice on the radio, the composer asked her to sing for Sharda (1942). The song was ‘Panchi ja pichhe raha hai bachpan mera ...’. She later lent her voice for films like Station Master, Kanoon and Sanjog. She went on to make her debut as an actor-singer with Hamari Baat (1943). This was followed by Phool, Samrat, Chandragupta, Anmol Ghadi, Dard, Dillagi, Kajal, Badi Bahen, Rustam Aur Sohrab, Pyar Ki Jeet and Mirza Ghalib

Gulshan Rai
Leading financier, distributor and film producer Gulshan Rai Sachdev passed away in Mumbai on October 10 following a prolonged illness. He was 82.

Rai started out as a financier for small films in the ’50s and then branched out to produce films in partnership with KA Abbas and Manmohan Sabir. He launched his own company, Trimurti Films. His most successful film was Johnny Mera Naam, directed by Vijay Anand. He then made three films with Yash Chopra as his director: Deewar, Trishul and Joshilaay. He launched his son Rajiv Rai as the director who made films like Yudh, Tridev, Vishwatma, Mohra and Asambhav. Gulshan Rai was one of the most respected industry figures and chaired several film associations succesfully.

Jayashree Shantaram
Jayashree Shantaram, wife of filmmaker-actor V Shantaram passed away of cardiac arrest at the age of 82 in October. She played the leading lady in films like Shakuntala and Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani.

Survived by producer-distributor-exhibitor-director son Kiran Shantaram and two daughters, one-time actress Rajashree and Tejashree, Jayashree was last seen in the Marathi film Zunj.

Pramod Chakravarty
Pramod Chakravarty, the man behind Pramod Films, died in Mumbai following a heart attack on December 7 at the age of 75.

Pramod left his home in Bangladesh for Mumbai where he worked in a canteen before finding a job as a typist in Films Division. He later joined Guru Dutt as assistant, wrote the script for 12’O Clock that was produced by GP Sippy with Dev Anand and eventually launched his own banner. He produced a string of jubilees like Ziddi, Love In Tokyo, Tum Sa Achcha Kaun Hai, Jugnu, Naya Zamana, Jyoti, Barood, Teen Murti, Mamta (an Indo-Bangla production), Deedar and Patita. He also directed films for other filmmakers like Warrant, Dream Girl and Nastik and worked with all the top stars and leading music directors. He was an active member of all the films associations and one of the five partners of Natraj Studios that was sold recently.

Yash Johar
Yash Johar passed away on June 26 after battling ill health for a long time. He is survived by wife and film director son Karan Johar.

Johar began his career in the film industry in 1952 in Sunil Dutt’s production house Ajanta Arts. He was associated with films like Mujhe Jeene Do and Yeh Raaste Hai Pyaar Ke. He helped filmmaker Dev Anand handle the production of his film Guide and continued working with Navketan Films and handled production of films like Jewel Thief, Prem Pujari and Hare Rama Hare Krishna. He went on to set up his own production house. His films are known for their exotic locales and lavish sets as well as rich family values. Some of the films he produced under the banner of Dharma Productions were Dostana, Muqaddar Ka Faisla, Agneepath, Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham and Kal Ho Na Ho.

Mehmood
The inimitable and original comedian, Mehmood, passed away in the month of July in the United States at the age of 72. Suffering from ill-health for several years, the actor had gone to Pennsylvania for treatment. He died in his sleep.

Born in 1932 in Mumbai, he had acted in more than 300 films, including hits such as Padosan which he had also produced and Sasural. Blending humour with sensitivity, Mehmood created his own style in Hindi cinema.

Son of Mumtaz Ali, a junior dancer and an extra in the Hindi film industry, Mehmood began his career as a child artiste in the 1943 film Kismet, starring Ashok Kumar. After struggling with small roles in films like Do Bigha Zameen, Chandi Sona, Sansar, Nadaan and Mr X in Bombay, he got his big break with Parwarish (1958), where he was cast as the friend of Raj Kapoor.

Mehmood directed a few films like Kunwara Baap, Sabse Bada Rupaiyya, Janta Hawaldar and Dushman Duniya Ka.

Vijay Anand
Actor-director Vijay Anand, popularly known as Goldie, passed away on February 23 after a massive heart attack.

Youngest of the Anand siblings, Goldie followed in the footsteps of his elder brothers, Chetan Anand and Dev Anand and entered the film industry. Between 1957 and ’82, he directed several movies that went on to become classics including Nau Do Gyarah, Kala Bazaar, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Guide, Jewel Thief, Teezsri Manzil, Blackmail, Chhupa Rustum and Ram Balram.

Goldie also faced the camera as an actor in Kora Kagaz, Agra Road, Kala Bazar, Haqueeqat, Tere Mere Sapne and Chor Chor. Guide remains amongst Vijay’s most successful films and he was all of 24 when he directed it in 1965. Starring his brother, Dev Anand, it won several awards. Vijay Anand was Chairman of the Censor Board a few years ago. His last directorial venture was Jaana Na Dil Se Door.

Laxmikant Berde
Leading Marathi actor Laxmikant Berde died in Mumbai on December 16 after a kidney failure. Aged 50, the actor was undergoing dialysis. He is survived by his actress-wife Priya, eight-year-old son Abhinay and four-year-old daughter Swanandi. Laxmikant had made his acting debut in the Marathi film Lek Chalali Sasarla and was a renowned artiste in the Hindi and Marathi stage and film industry. With a career that spanned two decades, Berde is known for several Marathi blockbusters like Ashi Hi Banva Banvi, Thar Tharaat, Balacha Baap Brahmachari, Mazha Chakula, Ek Hota Vidushak, Dhoom Dhadaaka, Hamaal De Dhamaal, to name of few. Some of his Hindi films are Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun, Saajan and Gentleman. The last Hindi film he shot for before he fell ill was Dharma Ramani’s Mahia-Call of Love.

Adding 2005 toll here.

Laxmikant Berde
Sunil Dutt
Amrish Puri
Harmesh Malhotra (Nagina fame)
Mahipal (Mahua fame)
Pran Lal Mehta
Pramod Chakrovorthy
Ramanand Sagar
Parveen Babi
Subodh Mukherjee
Ismaile Merchant

(2006)
Nadira
Naushad