Pankaj Dheer, best known for his role as Karna in the iconic television series Mahabharat, left for his heavenly abode on October 15 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 68. The actor's prayer meet was held at Mumbai's ISKCON Temple on Friday evening.
Several Hindi cinema personalities, including Jackie Shroff, Shilpa Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Ramesh Taurani, Sonu Sood, Zayed Khan, Suresh Oberoi, Rajat Bedi, and Esha Deol, among others, paid their respects to the veteran actor.
Pankaj Dheer's son, Nikitin, and his wife, Kratika Sengar, were present at the meet. As the celebrities arrived, paparazzi were seen calling celebs for photos and videos, which irked Jackie Shroff, and he schooled the paps for asking for pictures during a time of grief, urging them to maintain silence and decorum.
In the clips that have gone viral, a cameraman got too close to Jackie and asked for photos. Jackie responded, "Tu samajhdar hai na? Tere ghar pe aisa hua toh... (You're sensible, right? If something like this happened at your home...)"
Another clip shows Shilpa Shetty smiling and greeting the paparazzi with folded hands while exiting the venue. After attending the prayer meet, she acknowledged the photographers with a smile and a wave. Her gesture received massive backlash as many netizens called it inappropriate behaviour during a prayer meet.
Who was Pankaj Dheer?
Pankaj Dheer has been the face of TV for decades. Some of his popular TV shows include Chandrakanta, Badho Bahu, Zee Horror Show, and Kanoon, as well as films like Soldier, Andaz, Baadshah, and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge.
Dheer became a household name for his portrayal of Karna in the 1988 TV adaptation of Mahabharat by B.R. Chopra. His performance was so impactful that images of him in that role were used as a reference in textbooks, and statues of Karna based on his portrayal are even worshipped in some temples.
Pankaj Dheer's funeral was held in Mumbai, and several celebrities, including Salman Khan, Hema Malini, Sidharth Malhotra, and Kushal Tandon, among others, came to pay their last respects.
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