‘My Most Handsome Friend’: Roopa Ganguly Pays Emotional Tribute To Mahabharat Co-star Pankaj Dheer

After a long battle with cancer, veteran actor Pankaj Dheer passed away on Wednesday, October 15, at the age of 68. He was best known for portraying Karna in B.R. Chopra’s iconic television series Mahabharat.

The television industry is mourning the loss of the veteran actor, with the cast and crew of Mahabharat expressing their heartfelt grief.

His co-star from the show, Rupa Ganguly, who portrayed Draupadi, was deeply saddened after hearing the news from another co-star, Nitish Bharadwaj, who played Lord Krishna in Mahabharat. The actress remembered Pankaj “was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj.” Roopa also expressed her shock and deep condolences at Pankaj’s death.

Roopa Ganguly Remembers Mahabharat Co-Star Pankaj Dheer
The Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) confirmed the news of Pankaj Dheer’s death. Speaking about the actor in a conversation with NDTV, Roopa shared that she was unaware of his health condition. She shared, “I talked to him over a text, probably a year ago. But he never spoke to me about his illness,” adding that although she hadn’t met Pankaj for many years, they stayed in touch “over texts on and off.”

Roopa Ganguly: “Pankaj Dheer was the most handsome man after Nitish Bharadwaj.”

Roopa shared, “Pankaj Dheer was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj. I used to send him texts calling him, ‘my most handsome friend.” She recalled that he was a very well-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman. She shared, “He knew people called him ‘handsome’. But he’s a very well-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman. Puneet Issar (who played Duryodhan) and Firoz Khan (who played Arjun) were a bit playful (chulbule). But Pankaj was always a reserved person.”

About Pankaj Dheer’s Death

Alongside his fame for playing Karna, he was also known for portraying King Shivdutt in the fantasy drama Chandrakanta. Producer Ashoke Pandit said, “He passed away due to cancer this morning. He had been in and out of the hospital in the past months,” as per a report by PTI.

Pankaj Dheer’s final rites were held on Wednesday evening at the Pawan Hans crematorium. Several celebrities, including Salman Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Arbaaz Khan, Puneet Issar, and Mika Singh, were present to pay their last respects. The late actor is survived by his wife, Anita Dheer, and son, Nikitin Dheer, who has also followed in his father’s footsteps as an actor.