Veteran songwriter Abhilash, best known for Itni Shakti Hame Dena, passes away aged 74

Veteran songwriter Abhilash, best known for the song ‘I_tni Shakti Hame Dena Daata_’ from the 1986 film Ankush died at 74 at his home in Goregaon, Mumbai. He was suffering from a stomach illness. In an interaction with ABP News, his wife Neera revealed that Abhilash had a stomach surgery done in March after which he was having trouble walking. She denied reports of Abhilash having cancer or any other disease. The report added that due to COVID-19 restrictions, only 15-20 people were allowed to attend the lyricist’s funeral. His daughter and son-in-law, who reside in Bangalore could not attend the last rites. Born on 13 March, 1946 in Delhi, Abhilash started writing poems at 12. His real name was Om Prakash and he even had a few ghazals and stories published under this name before starting his career in the music industry. In a career spanning five decades, Abhilash wrote songs for films such as Raftaar (1975) and Awara Ladki (1975) and worked for composers such as Usha Khanna and Bappi Lahiri. He also wrote songs for films such as Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988) and Hulchul (1995). According to the Free Press Journal, his song, ‘Itni Shakti Hame Dena Daata’ has been translated into eight languages and is played as a prayer song across schools and other institutions even today. The film Ankush was also the launching pad for Nana Patekar and starred Ashalata Wabgaonkar, Nisha Singh, and Madan Jain in pivotal roles. Veteran actress Wabgaonkar too passed away recently from COVID-19 complications. The actor was diagnosed with coronavirus while shooting for Marathi TV show Aai Kalubai in Satara. She was admitted to a private hospital, where she passed away. The actor featured in over 100 films in both Hindi and Marathi and was a well-known thespian as well. She even authored the book Gard Sabhowati, which documented her journey in the industry.