Marjane Satrapi, who survived revolution and exile, died of a broken heart at 56
Her drawings looked like something a child might make. They contained things no child should ever have to know. That tension was the whole art.
The hills were unusually quiet on Sunday. The voice that once made an entire region pick up their phones and vote again and again had gone silent. Prashant Tamang, the soft-spoken constable-turned-singing star who changed Indian Idol history, passed away at his New Delhi home. He was just 43. Doctors confirmed he suffered a stroke.
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From Darjeeling’s lanes to national fame
Prashant Tamang was born on January 4, 1983, in Darjeeling. Life did not start easy for him. He lost his father at a young age, and responsibility came early. To support his family, Tamang joined the Kolkata Police as a constable.
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But music never left his heart. Even while wearing a uniform, he found ways to sing. He became part of the police orchestra quietly polishing his voice while doing his duty.
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Few could have guessed then that this young constable from small town would soon become one of the most talked-about faces on Indian television.
Indian Idol Season 3: A movement, not just a win
Everything changed in 2007. This was when Tamang entered Indian Idol Season 3. From the moment he appeared on screen, something special happened. Viewers saw one of their own chasing a dream.
What followed was extraordinary.
Tamang became a superstar in West Bengal, Sikkim, and especially the Darjeeling hills. Voting turned into a massive emotional movement. People from Kolkata, Sikkim, and Nepali communities across the world voted for him in huge numbers.
Support poured in from Brunei, the UK, Hong Kong, the UAE, and many other countries. Nepali-origin workers abroad even sent money to India just so votes could be cast in his name.
SMS votes, sacrifices, unmatched support
The scale of support was unheard of at the time. The mayor of Mirik publicly promised to spend ₹10,000 on SMS voting. His staff went a step further and pledged a full month’s salary to support Tamang.
In Howrah and Kolkata, special travel arrangements were made so people could campaign for him. Some of these events were attended by his sister, mother, and grandmother.
Across the border in Pokhara, Nepal, Radio Annapurna ran donation drives. Around NPR 70,000 was collected and sent to Darjeeling to help with voting. A signature campaign was organised by the Nepali newspaper ‘Himalaya Darpan’ in Kolkata.
Schools, clubs, and local groups urged people to vote, calling him ‘Pride of the Hills’.
Even political leaders joined in. Two Sikkim cabinet ministers planted saplings in Singtam to show unity and support. The state’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister also backed statewide voting.
By the time Tamang lifted the Indian Idol trophy, it felt like an entire community had won.
Life after the Indian Idol trophy
Winning Indian Idol opened many doors. Tamang released his album ‘Dhanyavad’ and began performing overseas building a strong reputation as both a playback and live singer across South Asia.
Songs like ‘Bir Gorkhali’ and ‘Asare Mahinama’ became cultural anthems and are still played with pride today.
But Tamang didn’t stop at music.
When Prashant Tamang turned into acting
In 2009, he stepped into acting. His first Nepali film, ‘Gorkha Paltan’, released in 2010 and turned out to be a box-office hit. Audiences welcomed him warmly on the big screen.
He followed it up with ‘Angalo Yo Maya Ko’ in 2011, produced in Sikkim, and then ‘Kina Maya Ma’ the same year. In 2014, Tamang starred in ‘Nishani’, a film based on the bravery of Gorkha soldiers during the Kargil War.
Prashant Tamang in ‘Paatal Lok’
On television, Tamang appeared as a guest on ‘Amber Dhara’. Years later, he surprised viewers with a strong performance in ‘Paatal Lok Season 2’ where he played the pivotal role of Daniel Lecho.
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