Akshay Kumar reveals he shot with Asrani for Haiwaan just a week before his death: ‘Shared the warmest hug’

Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. His last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium.”

Actor Akshay Kumar is heartbroken after the death of Asrani, who died on Monday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. Akshay shared that he had filmed several scenes with the legendary comedian and actor for his upcoming movie Haiwaan just last week, admitting he is speechless with grief.

Asrani will appear in two posthumous films: Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan both featuring Akshay Kumar.

Akshay speechless with grief

Late on Monday, Akshay took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share an emotional tribute for Asrani, with whom he worked on several projects such as Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Khatta Meetha.

“Speechless with grief at the passing of Asrani ji. We had just shared the warmest of hugs just a week back at the shoot of Haiwaan,” Akshay wrote in his note.

Akshay added, “Bahot pyare insaan the (he was a lovely person)…he had the most legendary comic timing. From all my cult films Hera Pheri to Bhagam Bhag to De Dana Dan, Welcome and now our unreleased Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan…I had worked and learned so much from him. What an absolute loss to our industry. God bless you Asrani Sir, for giving us a million reasons to laugh. Om Shanti.”

The actor also shared a picture with Asrani, where the veteran actor is seen riding a scooty with Akshay sitting behind him. The photo appears to be from a scene in one of Akshay’s upcoming films. Asrani will appear in two posthumous films: Bhoot Bangla and Haiwaan both directed by Priyadarshan.

Asrani dead at 84

Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. On Monday, news agency ANI tweeted, “Actor-director Govardhan Asrani, popularly known as 'Asrani' passed away in Mumbai today after a prolonged illness. His last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium.”

Asrani’s manager, Babubhai Thiba, told ANI - "Asrani passed away today at 3 PM at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu. He is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew."

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Asrani became one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved faces. Known for his impeccable comic timing and expressive performances, he appeared in over 350 films. Among his many roles, his portrayal of the jail warden in the 1975 classic Sholay remains an iconic part of Indian pop culture. In recent times, he featured in projects such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Dhamaal, Bunty Aur Babli 2, R... Rajkumar, All The Best, and Welcome. He is survived by his wife, Manju Asrani, his sister, and nephew. The couple had no children.