Jani Chacko Uthup, husband of Usha Uthup, breathed his last in Calcutta on Monday.

He was 78. The two were married for more than 50 years.

“Usha and Jani took breakfast together at their Ballygunge Place home in the morning. Just before noon, shortly after Usha left for some work, Jani suddenly took ill,” a spokesperson for Usha Uthup told Metro.

“He was rushed to a nursing home. Upon arrival, he was declared dead. A doctor said he had suffered a cardiac arrest,” the spokesperson said.

Jani was a tea taster.

The two had first met in Calcutta in the late 1960s when Usha used to sing at Trincas on Park Street.

The couple have two children, Anjali and Sunny.

Jani will be cremated at Keoratala on Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

Usha was recently honoured with Padma Bhushan for her contribution to music.

Having started her career as a nightclub singer in Calcutta, she went on to perform across India and around the world, exploring various music styles in her trademark Kanjeevaram sari and flowers in her hair.