Pankaj Dheer’s death news shocked everyone. Read further to know how his Mahabharat co-star remembered him.
Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer, Who’s best known for playing Karna in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, passed away on this Wednesday. Since the news, tributes have poured in from fans and colleagues across the film and TV industry. Now his Mahabharat co-star Mukesh Khanna shared a heartfelt video on YouTube, recalling his memories with Pankaj. He said the actor’s death came as a “sudden shock.”
Mukesh Khanna Remembers His Pankaj Dheer
Mukesh revealed that he had interviewed Pankaj for his podcast about a year ago. At first, Pankaj wasn’t keen on talking about the past or Mahabharat, but Mukesh convinced him to do it. A few months ago, when Mukesh tried to invite him again, Pankaj declined, that’s when Mukesh learned about his health issues.
How Pankaj Dheer Started His Industry Journey?
Mukesh fondly remembered Pankaj’s early days in the industry. “Pankaj began his career as an assistant director on my first film Roohi, earning just ₹300 a month,” he shared.
He praised Pankaj’s dedication, saying, “He worked with honesty and energy. He spoke beautifully, had a great sense of style, and was always well-dressed.” The two later worked together in films like Saugandh and Pandav.
The Role That Defined Him For Us
Mukesh admitted he originally wanted to play Karna himself. “I thought I’d play Karna or Arjun, but destiny made me Bhishma,” he said. “Then Pankaj came in front of me as Karna, and he truly owned the role.”
Struggles Despite Having a Film Family
Mukesh also shared that Pankaj’s father was part of the film industry, but Pankaj still had to struggle a lot. “He faced many hardships before finding success,” he said. “Over time, we’ve lost several Mahabharat co-stars, Gufi Paintal (Shakuni), Praveen Kumar (Bheem), and now Pankaj too.”
A ‘Convent Pandav’?
Mukesh smiled as he recalled teasing Pankaj for not reading the original Mahabharat. “He hadn’t read the real epic, only the book Mrityunjay, which tells the story from Karna’s perspective,” he said.
“Because of that, he sometimes felt certain scenes were missing in our version. I used to jokingly call him the ‘Convent Pandav.’ But despite that, his performance as Karna was simply brilliant.”
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