Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar passes away at 70
Veteran film and television actor Sameer Khakhar left for his heavenly abode on Wednesday morning. The late actor, best known for Bollywood films such as Shahenshah, Jai Ho, and Hasee Toh Phasee, among many others, breathed his last at the age of 70. The news of his passing away was confirmed by his brother, Ganesh, said media reports.
Actor succumbed to respiratory problems
According to multiple reports, Khakhar was admitted to a private hospital in the Borivali area of Mumbai after he suffered respiratory problems on Tuesday. He was undergoing treatment at the MM Hospital, however, he succumbed to it later. Per reports, his last rites were scheduled to be held at Babhai Naka Crematorium in Borivali on Wednesday morning at around 10:30am.
He entered the film industry in 1985
Khakhar was a popular name in the Hindi film industry. He started his acting career by appearing in a video in 1985's Chhun Chhun Karti Aayee Chidiya. He then starred in the 1987's films Jawan Hum Denge and Pushpaka Vimana. From there on, he went on to act in many films such as Guru (1989), Awwal Number (1990), and Dhartiputra (1993), among others.
Acted alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan
Speaking of his Bollywood career, Khakhar has worked with many A-listers from the film fraternity. One of his most iconic roles is of an alcoholic businessman who gets kidnapped by Kamal Haasan in the dialogue-free film Pushpaka Vimana. He also acted alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah, Govinda in Raja Babu, Salman Khan in Jai Ho, and Sidharth Malhotra in Hasee Toh Phasee.
Khakhar's television career at a glance
Apart from the film industry, Khakhar had gained popularity in the television world as well. One of his most popular TV works is the 1896 drama Nukkad. In this, he played the role of a drunken man called Khopdi. The series was directed by Kundan Shah and Saeed Akhtar Mirza. He also acted in Shrimaan Shrimati and Sanjivani.
Khakhar was also a Java coder
Khakhar was known for his comic timing. However, many wouldn't be aware that he once moved to the US for a few years where he worked as a Java coder. In an old interview, he revealed that he went to the US in 1996 and started working there before returning to India in 2008 after which he resumed his acting career.
