Mumbai, Oct 15 : Bollywood actress Esha Deol took to her social media account in offering condolences to the late Pankaj Dheer. The actor who passed away on the 15th of October sent a shockwave across the country.

Esha, sharing a picture of the late veteran actor on her social media account, penned an emotional farewell note. She wrote, '"Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Pankaj uncle. A dear family friend & a wonderful human being always full of joy. Will miss you & those fun conversations we had followed by your laughter. May your soul rest in peace. Deepest condolences, aunty, to @nikitandheer & the family. Om Shanti."

Esha Deol's mother and Bollywood veteran superstar Hema Malini was seen at the funeral of Pankaj Dheer today. Earlier in the day, Dheer's co-star Arjun Feroz Khan, who was seen as Arjuna in the show Mahabharat, took to his social media account to express his grief.

He wrote, 'Gentleman!!! Bids goodbye (teary-eyed emoji) will miss you PD (broken heart emoji). Stay blessed. (Sparkle emojis) dropping a picture posing with the late actor. The Indian Film & Television Directors' Association President Ashoke Pandit too penned down a note on social media bidding farewell to Dheer. 'Shocked to know about the sad demise of our dear friend and a brilliant actor, Pankaj Dheer. A great human being. Huge loss to the industry. Heartfelt condolences to the family. "Om Shanti" (folded hands emoji)," he wrote, further mentioning details about the cremation. 'Please note final rites at Pawan Hans cremation ground, S.V. Road, Vile Parle (W). Mumbai,' he added.

According to reports, Pankaj was diagnosed with cancer some time ago and was battling through it. According to reports, his cancer had relapsed a few months ago, and the actor had been extremely unwell ever since then. While the reason behind his demise is still uncertain, he reportedly even went through major surgery as part of the cancer treatment.

The veteran was a celebrated figure in Indian cinema and television and was best known for his iconic portrayal of 'Karn' in the epic TV series 'Mahabharat'. Talking about his work, Pankaj Dheer gained immense fame after portraying Karn in B. R. Chopra's 1988 epic television series, Mahabharat, and further appeared as the lead in Dastak in 1993, co-starring Shagufta Ali and Sameer Kakkar. He was also seen in multiple Bollywood movies in important roles.

The actor was a part of Bobby Deol's Soldier and Abhishek Bachchan's Zameen, to name a few. He was last seen in the sci-fi fantasy romantic drama television series 'Dhruv Tara Samay Sadi Se Pare', which also starred Ishaan Dhawan and Riya Sharma.

Pankaj Dheer is survived by wife Aneeta, actor son Nikitin Dheer, and daughter-in-law Kratika Sengar, who also is an actress. He also has a 3-year-old granddaughter, Devika.

/IANS