Mumbai Jan 20 (IANS)
Singer and performer Parleen Gill, who rose to fame from Indian Idol Season 3 shared a close bond with singer Prashant Tamang, who passed away on January 11 after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest
Parleen has now recalled his last meeting with Prashant on November 20, 2025, and said they never even imagined that it would be his last time seeing Prashant.
Talking about it, Parleen shared, “Prashant had recently bagged a Salman Khan film (Battle of Galwan), and I was one of the first to know. He was supposed to stay at my place during the shoot, but because filming was near Film City, he chose a place closer to the studio. After the shoot wrapped, he called all of us, saying he was leaving for Delhi the next day and wanted to meet that night.”
He added, “I was at the gym when he called. I told him he should have planned this earlier, and I begged him to stay one extra day so we could all celebrate his big break properly. But he said his daughter had been alone for long, and he needed to rush back. ‘Come meet me tonight,’ he insisted.”
“I rushed home, asked my wife Blondelle if she wanted to finally meet my closest buddy, and she got ready instantly. We reached the venue by 7 PM, he came an hour later. Only a few of us made it on time. None of us knew that this would be the last time we’d meet him, the last time we’d sit together, drink together, laugh together, celebrating what was the biggest career break of his life. We were all so proud and so happy for him,” he added.
Parleen who continues to mourn his death, says is deeply devastated by the loss.
Talking about their 20-year-long friendship, he said, “The best part of our friendship was that we never had to pretend or hide anything. From day one, right from the Indian Idol auditions, we bonded instantly. We started pulling each other’s leg like we were childhood friends. It truly felt like we had known each other forever.”
He added, “And as singers, when your best friend also sings, the vibe is on a completely different level. We helped each other, pushed each other, and connected over hundreds of songs. Every time we sang together, it felt like we were experiencing that song for the very first time.”
Talking about his most memorable moment with Prashant, Parleen said it when they for the first time, performed a duet in Indian Idol. He said, “All contestants were paired randomly and given random songs, and it wasn’t a voting round, just a celebration of making it that far. We performed Chain Khuli Ki Main Khuli, and I even choreographed it for both of us. It was considered the best performance of the round.”
“We also got to interact with the audience for the first time, and that moment made us feel like rockstars who had truly arrived,” he added.
Their friendship only grew with time, and Parleen calls it magical. He said, “Every day felt like a roller coaster of fun, madness, and unforgettable memories. Sony BMG (now Sony MUSIC) signed Prashant as the winner, and I, along with three other singers, was signed as part of an exclusive band.”
“We recorded our first albums together, stayed together, traveled together, partied together, played PlayStation together, ate together, those were honestly the best days of our lives,” he added.
Parleen also traveled to Prashant’s hometown, Darjeeling, for his last rites. He revealed that it was his wife gave him the strength to do so. “I was shattered, devastated, and unable to think straight. She booked the tickets, arranged the cab and hotel, and packed my bags. Before leaving for the airport, I kept saying, ‘I can’t see him like this.’ She held me together and kept reminding me, ‘He would want his brother there.’ Her strength became mine,” Parleen ended.
For the uninitiated, Prashant Tamang was the winner of Indian Idol season 3. He passed away on January 11, reportedly after suffering from a cardiac arrest.
–IANS
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