Legendary singer Usha Uthup’s husband Jani Chacko Uthup left for his heavenly abode on Monday. At the age of 78, he passed away after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest at his Kolkata residence. According to the report by the Free Press Journal, he was watching television when he complained of discomfort. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, however, the doctor declared him dead on arrival.
For those who don’t know, Jani was Usha’s second husband. He was associated with the tea plantation section. They had first met in the early ‘70s at the iconic Trincas. The singer was previously married to the late Ramu. His demise has sent shockwaves across the industry, as netizens and admirers of the singer took to social media to express their condolences. Apart from his 76-year-old wife, he was survived by a son Sunny, and a daughter Anjali. According to his family, his last rites will be held on Tuesday.
Talking about the veteran singer, she made a name for herself in the music industry with her beautiful voice. She was recently bestowed with the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government. Having begun her career at a nightclub in Chennai, she was spotted by late actor Dev Anant, who got her to make her Bollywood debut with his film Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971). She created waves in the industry by working with music composers RD Burman and Bappi Lahiri, during the 1970s and 1980s disco era. Apart from singing in Bollywood, she has also sung many songs in South films, including Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Opening up about receiving Padma Bhushan, earlier this year, she told Hindustan Times, “I got a call from the ministry in Delhi, and told to keep it under wraps until they announce it. I can imagine if I learned classical music... but I was someone who sings all genres which are jazz, folk or foreign languages. I started off my career as a nightclub stage singer, and did whatever few films that I got. They were all big hits, but one does really think how this honour happened.”
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