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Roopa Ganguly tears down on Pankaj Dheer's death, names Mahabharat co-star ‘most attractive man on the set after…’
By Kajal Sharma - 16 Oct 2025 05:20 PM
Actor Roopa Ganguly, who played Draupadi in BR Chopra's Mahabharat (1988-1990), lavished compliments as she remembered her co-star Pankaj Dheer (who essayed the character of Karna). Roopa said in an interview with NDTV that Pankaj "was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj." He was also described as a "reserved person" by her. In addition, Roopa conveyed her shock and sympathy at Pankaj's passing.After a fight with cancer, Pankaj passed away at the age of 68, according to news agency PTI. Roopa discussed him and said that she was unaware of his poor health. "I think we had a text conversation around a year ago. However, he never discussed his sickness with me," Roopa sobbed. Despite meeting Pankaj "years ago," she said that they continued to communicate "over texts on and off."She walked down memory lane, remembering their interactions on the Mahabharat film sets.
After Nitish Bharadwaj, Pankaj Dheer was the most attractive male on the set. I would text him and refer to him as "my most handsome friend." 'Handsome' was a term he was aware of. However, he is a really polite, well-mannered man. Firoz Khan, who portrayed Arjun, and Puneet Issar, who played Duryodhan, were a little mischievous (chulbule). However, Pankaj was always quiet," she remarked.Pankaj was well-known for his roles as King Shivdutt in the fantasy drama Chandrakanta and Karna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat. "He died this morning from cancer." Producer Ashoke Pandit was quoted by PTI as stating, "He had been in and out of the hospital in the past months." On Wednesday night, Pankaj's final ceremonies were held at the Pawan Hans crematorium. Among those who paid their final respects at the crematorium were Salman Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Arbaaz Khan, Puneet Issar, and Mika Singh. His son, Nikitin Dheer, an actor, and wife, Anita Dheer, survive him.