Jagjit used to bet on horse racing and Mahalaxmi Race Course was his favourite haunt. On July 28, 1990 Jagjit's son Vivek died in a car accident on Marine Drive. The couple went into a trauma and almost stopped singing.
A year later, Jagjit resumed singing, but Chitra stopped singing altogether. On May 29, 2009 Jagjit's daughter Monika died in her flat.
A heartbroken Jagjit was consoled by the likes of Gulzar, Nida Fazli, Ghulam Ali, Javed Akhtar and Om Puri.
"Few people know that Jagjit used to do charities, and ensured that people should not know that it was he who donated. You rarely find such people nowadays", reveals Shabana Azmi.
On September 23, 2011, Jagjit was to take part in a musical concert with Ghulam Ali in Mumbai, but a few hours before the concert, he had a severe brain haemorrhage. After a battle for 17 days, the great ghazal singer breathed his last at the age of 70 on October 20, 2011.
The world of ghazals is still on the lookout for a singer to replace Jagjit Singh.
Says Urdu poet Nida Fazli : "A human being is born from his or her mother's womb, but to become a true human being, one has to undertake a long journey, and becomes Mahatma Gandhi, a Hasrat Mohani, a Ram Manohar Lohia or a Jagjit Singh."
Says young singer Kunal Ganjawala: "I always used to see the reflection of God in his eyes, his voice and his demeanour, whenever he sang."
Bhajan and ghazal singer Anup Jalota : " It's almost impossible to find such a voice, such an artiste, such a personality, such a feeling, again..."
Says Urdu poet Javed Akhtar : "His voice was soft and silky, and used to give a pleasant effect to listeners.
