‘Mahabharat’ Actor Pankaj Dheer Passes Away at 68 After Cancer Battle; Funeral to Be Held in Mumbai
Pankaj Dheer, best known for his iconic portrayal of Karn in BR Chopra’s classic TV series Mahabharat, has passed away at the age of 68. His co-star Arjun Feroz Khan paid tribute on social media, sharing a heartfelt message and a throwback photo.
Actor Pankaj Dheer, who is best known for his portrayal of Karn in BR Chopra's popular television epic Mahabharat, passed away at the age of 68. ‘Mahabharat’ Actor Pankaj Dheer, Who Played Karna, Dies of Cancer at 68; Co-Star ‘Arjun’ Feroz Khan Pays Tribute, Son Nikitin Dheer Shares Cryptic Post.
His co-star Arjun Feroz Khan, who was seen as Arjuna on the show, took to the Stories section of his Instagram and wrote, "Gentleman!!! Bids goodbye (teary-eyed emoji) will miss you PD (broken heart emoji) Stay blessed (Sparkle emojis)". Khan even dropped a throwback picture posing with the late actor.
View Arjun Feroz Khan's Post:
While the exact reason for his demise is still unknown, the media reports claimed that the actor was suffering from cancer for a long time.
According to the reports, his cancer had relapsed a few months ago, and the actor was extremely unwell. He reportedly even went through major surgery as part of the treatment.
The actor's funeral will be held at 4:30 pm at Pawan Hans Crematorium in the Vile Parle west area of Mumbai on Wednesday.
The official Instagram account of CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes’ Association) posted a note on the platform notifying about the actor's demise. They wrote, "CINTAA and CAWT mourn the loss of Shri Pankaj Dheer ji, former General Secretary of CINTAA and former Chairman of CAWT — a respected member of our fraternity whose invaluable contributions to Indian cinema and television will always be remembered. Funeral today at 4:30 PM at Pawan Hans Crematorium, Vile Parle (W). Om Shanti".
For those who do not know, Pankaj Dheer rose to fame after his portrayal as Karn in B. R. Chopra's 1988 epic television series Mahabharat. He further appeared as the lead in Dastak in 1993, co-starring Shagufta Ali and Sameer Kakkar.
In addition to this, he further featured in the Zee Horror Show, along with Archana Puran Singh.
Moreover, the actor played the lead as a defence lawyer in the TV Series Kanoon.
Along with his acting career, he is also credited with opening the Abbhinnay Acting Academy in Mumbai, with actor Gufi Paintal as the faculty head in 2010. Jimmy Shergill’s Father, Satyajit Singh Shergill, Dies at 90 in Mumbai.
Pankaj Dheer is survived by his actor son Nikitin Dheer, who is known for his work in Chennai Express.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 15, 2025 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).