New Delhi: Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer, best known for portraying Karna in B.R. Chopra’s 1988 TV series Mahabharat, passed away at the age of 68 on Wednesday.
The last rites of the actor were held at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Santacruz at 4:30 p.m., where several colleagues and well-wishers from the film and television fraternity arrived to pay their final respects.
Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra attended the funeral to pay tribute to the veteran actor. He was seen dressed in a white shirt and denim jeans.
Singer Mika Singh was also present and appeared visibly emotional. The filmmaker duo Abbas-Mustan attended the funeral, dressed in white, while Salman Khan arrived amid high security to pay his respects to his late friend.
Puneet Issar, who played Duryodhana in Mahabharat, was spotted at Dheer’s Mumbai residence, offering condolences to the family. Other co-actors from the show, including Deep Dhillon (Jayadratha), Surendra Pal (Dronacharya), and Firoz Khan (Arjun), were also seen at the funeral.
Actor Shahbaz Khan, known for his role as Prince Virendra Vikram Singh in Chandrakanta, attended the last rites as well.
Actors Jaya Bhattacharya, Mukesh Rishi, Kushal Tandon, BN Tiwari (President, FWICE), and Sushant Singh (Honorary Secretary, CINTAA) were also among those who came to pay their respects.
Television couple Dipika Kakkar and Shoaib Ibrahim were also in attendance.
Pankaj Dheer’s son, actor Nikitin Dheer, was seen breaking down as he accompanied the ambulance carrying his father’s body to its final resting place.
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Pankaj Dheer’s Death
Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer, who rose to fame as Karna in Mahabharat, succumbed to cancer on Wednesday at the age of 68.
The Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) confirmed the news of his passing, issuing a statement:
“With profound grief and deep sorrow, we inform you of the passing of our Trust’s erstwhile Chairman and CINTAA’s former Hon. General Secretary, Shri Pankaj Dheer ji, on 15th October 2025. The cremation will be held today at 4:30 p.m., next to Pawan Hans, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai.”
Apart from Mahabharat, Dheer featured in popular TV shows such as Chandrakanta, The Great Maratha, Yug, and Badho Bahu. He also appeared in several Bollywood films, including Sadak, Soldier, and Baadshah.
He played the lead role in the debut episode of Dastak and appeared in Zee Horror Show (1993) alongside Archana Puran Singh. He also starred in Kanoon, a courtroom drama series.
In 2006, Pankaj Dheer established a shooting studio, Visage Studioz, along with his brother Satluj Dheer in Jogeshwari, Mumbai. Later, in 2010, he opened Abbhinnay Acting Academy in Mumbai, with actor Gufi Paintal serving as the faculty head.
Pankaj Dheer was married to Anita Dheer, and the couple had two children. His son Nikitin Dheer, also an actor, is married to TV star Kratika Sengar. Nikitin has appeared in films like Chennai Express, Jodhaa Akbar, and Sooryavanshi.