(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai Oct 15 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol took to social media to express grief over the passing of veteran actor Pankaj Dheer. Sharing a throwback black-and-white picture of the late actor from his younger days, Sunny penned a heartfelt tribute remembering the veteran star.

He wrote,“Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of #PankajDheer ji. I knew him and was very close to him. He was a fine actor and an even finer human being. His contribution to cinema will always be remembered. My prayers are with his family. Om Shanti” Sunny Deol's brother and a Bollywood star, Bobby Deol, co-starred with him in the movie Soldier in the late 90s.

For the uninitiated, Pankaj Dheer rose to fame for his powerful performance in films and television and was best known for his portrayal of Karn in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat. Earlier in the day, Bollywood actress Esha Deol took to her social media account in offering condolences to the late star. Sharing a picture of the late veteran actor on her social media account, she 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 paying her last respects to the late star. 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. Pankaj Dheer is survived by wife Aneeta, actor son Nikitin Dheer, and daughter-in-law Kratika Sengar, who also is an actress.

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