Roopa Ganguly breaks down on Pankaj Dheer's death, calls Mahabharat co-star ‘most handsome man on the set after…’

Roopa Ganguly shared that she was not aware of his ill health. She said she met Pankaj Dheer years ago, but they stayed connected over texts on and off.

Actor Roopa Ganguly, who played Draupadi in BR Chopra's Mahabharat (1988-1990), showered praises as she remembered her co-star Pankaj Dheer (who essayed the role of Karna). Speaking with NDTV, Roopa recalled Pankaj "was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj." She also added that he was a "reserved person". Roopa also expressed her shock and condolences at Pankaj's death.

Pankaj Dheer and Roopa Ganguly worked together in Mahabharat.

Roopa Ganguly remembers her co-star Pankaj Dheer

As per news agency PTI, Pankaj died at the age of 68 following a battle with cancer. Talking about him, Roopa shared that she was not aware of his ill health. "I talked to him over a text, probably a year ago. But he never spoke to me about his illness," Roopa broke down. She said she met Pankaj "years ago," but they stayed connected "over texts on and off."

Roopa thinks Pankaj was handsome after Nitish Bharadwaj

She took a walk down memory lane, recalling their interaction on the sets of Mahabharat. "Pankaj Dheer was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj. I used to send him texts calling him, 'my most handsome friend.' He knew people called him 'handsome'. But he's a very well-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman. Puneet Issar (who played Duryodhan) and Firoz Khan (who played Arjun) were a bit playful (chulbule). But Pankaj was always a reserved person," she said.

About Pankaj's death

Pankaj was known for playing Karna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat and King Shivdutt in the fantasy drama Chandrakanta. "He passed away due to cancer this morning. He had been in and out of the hospital in the past months," PTI quoted producer Ashoke Pandit as saying.

Pankaj's last rites were conducted at the Pawan Hans crematorium on Wednesday evening. Salman Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Arbaaz Khan, Puneet Issar, and Mika Singh, among others, paid their last respects at the crematorium. He is survived by his wife, Anita Dheer, and son, Nikitin Dheer, who is also an actor.

About Pankaj's career

After Mahabharata, Pankaj's popularity peaked, and he starred in many movies, including Sadak, Sanam Bewafa, and Aashik Awara. Some of his notable movies also include Bobby Deol's Soldier, Shah Rukh Khan's Baadshah, Akshay Kumar's Andaz and Ajay Devgn's Zameen and Tarzan. In the late 2000s, Pankaj appeared in several shows, including Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and Sasural Simar Ka.