Coronavirus claims Bollywood composer Wajid Khan at 42

MUMBAI: Wajid Khan, one of the top composers of Bollywood dance songs, has died at the age of 42 after contracting coronavirus, media reports said Monday.

Khan, who had been suffering from a kidney ailment, passed away in Mumbai on Sunday after suffering cardiac arrest, his brother told Press Trust of India news agency, adding that he had tested positive for the virus.

The first death in Bollywood to be attributed to the pandemic sent shockwaves through the industry, which is still reeling from the loss of two luminaries, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, in April. Khan was part of the musical duo Sajid-Wajid who got their Bollywood break in 1998 when they composed the songs for superstar Salman Khan’s hit film “Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya” (“Why Fear Anything if You are in Love”).

They became his favoured composers, collaborating on films such as the 2007 comedy “Partner”, the 2009 action blockbuster “Wanted” and 2010’s top grosser “Dabangg” (“Fearless”).