E-Paper
Actor Vikram Gokhale, 77, passes away at Pune hospital
Veteran film, television and stage actor Vikram Gokhale passed away on Saturday afternoon due to multi-organ failure
Veteran film, television and stage actor Vikram Gokhale passed away on Saturday afternoon due to multi-organ failure at a city-based hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for the last couple of weeks, the hospital authorities said. Gokhale, 77, was admitted to the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital earlier this month following health complications.
“We are saddened to announce that Gokhale passed away today at due to multi-organ failure. Our deep condolences,” Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital said in a message.
This comes just a day after the doctors had revealed that the acclaimed actor was showing slow but steady improvement .
Gokhale is survived by wife Vrushali, and two daughters – Aasavari and Neha. “We would like to thank everyone for their good wishes, support and prayers through this difficult time,” said actor’s daughter Neha Gokhale Sundriyal.
To some, Gokhale was an institution of acting, whose words smoothly oscillated between Marathi and Hindi, through films, theatre and television.
Besides acting, the thespian was known for his voice and diction, and was praised for stoic dialogue delivery which the audience witnessed through his five-decade long career that recently met with controversy when he backed Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for her claim about India attaining freedom only in 2014 and what it got in 1947 was “alms”. Gokhale was criticised for his support to Ranaut - also seen as backing Narendra Modi - amid several authors and those from the world of film industry feared his remarks may mark shift of Marathi theatre and film industry from being politically neutral to radical hindutva.
Gokhale, a consummate actor, was last seen in the 2021 Marathi movie “Godavari” and won the National Award for best actor for his portrayal of a man watching helplessly as his wife slips into a coma in “Anumati”.
A fourth-generation artiste in the family of Gokhales, the septuagenarian acted in landmark films such as “Agneepath” and “Natsamrat”, adapted to changing times as effortlessly as he slipped into diverse roles to make his mark in varied platforms.
He was born on November 14, 1945 when his father Chandrakant Gokhale was a leading star and singer of Marathi cinema. His grandmother was Kamlabhai Gokhale was the Indian film industry’s first female child actor.
“Vikram comes from family of performers and it is in his genes that acting comes easily to him. It is common knowledge that often actors are keen on professional relationship, but Vikram and I shared a post-work relationship too,” said Gokhale’s friend and another Marathi acting legend Dilip Prabhavalkar.
The actor made his film debut with the Bachchan-starrer “Parwana” in 1971 after dabbling as an actor with Marathi theatre, featuring in several plays.
Several actors and individuals took to social media to pay tributes.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tweeted: “Extremely saddened by the death of an all-rounder actor who ruled over the viewers in theatre, film and television. His death has created a big vacuum.”
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “Gokhale’s death has caused an irreparable loss to the cinema and theatre industry. He was not only an astute actor, director, theatre artist, but also a person with a big heart and broad social consciousness. A towering actor, his skill with body language and eye expression and confident arrows are rarely second to none.”
After acting in many films and plays, Gokhale turned to direction with the 2010 Marathi movie “Aaghaat”, in which he also starred.
Prominent Marathi actor Neena Kulkarni called Gokhale her “Guru Bandhu’ as they both shared the same teacher Vijaya Mehta in Theatre. “I have had a long association with Vikram when we both acted in Mahasagar in 1979, where he was already a star and I was starting out in theatre. He was a fantastic actor and a fabulous human being. The last film we acted together was the recently released Marathi film Godavari. We shot during the pandemic and he was ailing, but that did not deter his ability to act. His acting is a school of acting itself, there is so much to learn, always. He will be missed dearly,” Kulkarni said.
Actor Ashok Saraf recalled Vikram Gokhale as a versatile actor. “Though we did not get to act together, he was a friend. His best quality was his dedication to acting and his involvement,” said Saraf.
Producer director Mahesh Kothare said he missed out on an opportunity to direct him for his film De Danadan and now feels that such actors come around just once in our lives. “He was a great actor, and brought dignity to any kind of role. I remember watching him act along with Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath and hold his own despite being of average height as compared to Bachchan, while he will always be remembered for his outstanding performance in the play Barrister, written by Jayawant Dalvi and directed by Vijaya Mehta, which created quite a personality and created a niche for his kind of acting. He arrived then and always stayed with the audience forever.”
