Celebs Pay Tribute to Veteran Actor Pankaj Dheer at Prayer Meet

Several Bollywood celebrities came together to pay tribute to veteran actor Pankaj Dheer at a prayer meet organized in his memory at the ISKCON Temple in Juhu, Mumbai. The gathering saw members of the film fraternity offering condolences to his family, including his son Nikitin Dheer.

Stars including Abhishek Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Zayed Khan, Suresh Oberoi, Rajat Bedi, and Ramesh Taurani attended the prayer meet on Friday evening. Other notable attendees were Ashoke Pandit, Baba Azmi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Esha Deol, Firoz Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mukesh Khanna, Poonam Dhillon, Puneet Issar, Raj Kundra, Ranjeet, Rohit Shetty, Sharad Saxena, Tanvi Azmi, Upasana Singh, and Urvashi Dholakia.

Earlier, actor Amit Behl shared his shock over Pankaj’s demise, saying, “He was ailing about three years ago, but he had recovered. I spoke to him about four months ago, and he was sounding fine. So it's quite a shock to me. It's really sad.”

Remembering Pankaj Dheer

Pankaj Dheer, best known for his iconic roles as Karna in Mahabharat and King Shivdutt in Chandrakanta, passed away on October 15 after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 68 years old. His last rites were performed at the Pawan Hans crematorium, attended by celebrities including Salman Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Arbaaz Khan, Puneet Issar, and Mika Singh. Pankaj is survived by his wife Anita Dheer and son Nikitin Dheer, who is also an actor.

Pankaj Dheer’s Cinematic Journey

Hailing from Punjab, Pankaj began his career in the 1980s with minor film roles. He appeared in notable films like Sadak, Sanam Bewafa, Aashik Awara, Soldier, Baadshah, Andaz, Zameen, and Tarzan. In addition to films, he was active in television and appeared in popular daily soaps like Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and Sasural Simar Ka.

Pankaj Dheer’s legacy in Indian television and cinema continues to be remembered by colleagues, fans, and the film fraternity alike.