Prashant Tamang, the singer who became a household name after winning Indian Idol 3 and later built a parallel career in acting, died in Delhi today after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 43.
Close friend and singer Mahesh Sewa said Tamang collapsed at his Janakpuri residence and was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Sewa said Tamang had appeared healthy and in good spirits when they last spoke a few days earlier.
The family has not yet decided whether the last rites will take place in Delhi or his hometown of Darjeeling.
News of Tamang’s death spread rapidly after friends and colleagues shared tributes on social media. Fans across India, Nepal and the Darjeeling hills expressed grief, recalling how his rise to fame once sparked mass celebrations in the region.
Born on 4 January 1983 into a Nepali-speaking Gorkha family in Darjeeling, Tamang faced hardship early in life. After his father, a West Bengal Police officer, died in service, Tamang left school to take up his father’s job.
Friends later encouraged him to audition for Indian Idol in 2007, a decision that transformed his life. His victory in the third season turned him into a cultural icon for the Gorkha community and beyond.
After his win, Tamang released his debut album Dhanyavaad in 2010 and continued performing at concerts in India and overseas. He entered acting the same year with the Nepali hit ‘Gorkha Paltan’ and went on to appear in films including ‘Angalo Yo Maya Ko’, ‘Kina Maya Ma’, ‘Nishani’ and ‘Pardesi’.
In recent years, Tamang reached wider audiences with his performance as assassin Daniel Lecho in the second season of the acclaimed series ‘Paatal Lok’. He will appear posthumously in the upcoming Salman Khan-led film ‘Battle of Galwan’, scheduled for release on 17 April.
Political leaders and fellow artists paid tribute following his death. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described Tamang as an artist of national renown with deep roots in the Darjeeling hills. Amit Paul, the runner-up of Indian Idol 3, shared an emotional message remembering Tamang as a close friend and brother.
Tamang is survived by his wife, Geeta Thapa, and their four-year-old daughter, Ariah.
