Mumbai: A key figure in Mahabharat, the pioneer actor of the widely-known TV series, Pankaj Dheer, died of cancer after a long struggle with the disease. People are not only recollecting him as a great actor, but as a kind and gentle person in real life.
When he took his last rites in Santacruz, the film world was present with the many famous stars of the film industry paying him respect. A single emotional scene that was apparent to everyone was the one where Salman Khan embraced the son of Pankaj, the Nikitin Dheer. This testified to the way the movie industry can be united during bad moments.
A lot of Pankaj co-stars gave recollections of his helpfulness and caring nature. Actress Hema Malini claimed that he was a good friend and she would never forget his help. It was found that he was as good in real life as he was mighty in his acting characters.
Only a few hours before his dad died, Nikitin wrote a brief text on Instagram that he is letting go and he added the Hindu doctrine of Shivarpanam of trusting God and moving on. The message was serene and inspirational to many fans who claimed that it felt like one final lesson of the life of Pankaj Dheer.
His career can teach a lot to young actors. It demonstrates that talent matters, but doing good to people is even more important. A simple gesture such as a hug or even some words of caring, remains in the heart of people long. Nikitin remained quite calm even in the face of pain in front of people which demonstrates the power of strong families that have love and faith.
Pankaj Dheer will never be forgotten as Karna of Mahabharat, however, more because of his modest and loving character. The only lesson his life is capable of teaching is that you should be nice to people onscreen and offscreen as being nice is what lasts the longest.
