Actor Pankaj Dheer, best known for playing the iconic role of Karna in BR Chopra’s 1988 TV series Mahabharata, passed away on Wednesday. He was 68 years old.Sources told NDTV that Pankaj Dheer was battling cancer.
Dheer’s friend and film producer Ashok Pandit told PTI that he died this morning due to cancer. He had to go to the hospital several times in the last few months. His last rites will be performed this evening. He is survived by his wife Anita Dhir and son Niketan Dhir, who is also an actor.
Pankaj Dheer dies of cancer
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Pankaj Dheer’s credits include TV serials like Chandrakanta, Badho Bahu, Zee Horror Show, Kanoon and most recently Sasural Simar Ka as well as films like Soldier, Andaz, Badshah and Tumko Na Bhool Payenge.
His son Nikitin Dheer is also an actor, known for films like Chennai Express, Jodha Akbar and Sooryavanshi. His daughter-in-law is Story of a Brave Woman-Jhansi Ki Rani fame actress Kritika Sengar.
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How the actor prepared for the role of Karna in Mahabharata
In an old interview, Pankaj Dheer had once revealed that he had no concrete resources to prepare for the role of Karna in Mahabharata. Before BR Chopra made the TV series, a two-hour film based on this epic had been made, but it did not mention Karna much. This didn’t stop Pankaj Dheer from playing this iconic role; Rather, he used his sensitivity as an actor to bring the character to life. Pankaj Dheer says that most of his scenes were with Duryodhana and Shakuni, who were dramatic characters. It was quite difficult to maintain my presence among them. However, Pankaj Dheer, Karna of Mahabharata, is happy that he managed to make his mark among the audience, so much so that his picture as a heroic warrior is published in many books based on Karna.