Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer — forever etched in the public imagination as Karna from B.R. Chopra’s 1988 television epic Mahabharat — died on Wednesday (October 15) after a prolonged fight with cancer. He was 68. News of his passing prompted an outpouring of grief across the film and television fraternity and on social media, where fans remembered the dignity and tragic grandeur he brought to one of Indian storytelling’s most complicated heroes.
A face that became a character
For millions who grew up watching Mahabharat in the late 1980s and early ’90s, Pankaj Dheer’s face and voice were Karna. He gave life to the warrior’s inner conflict — the Sut-putra who longs for recognition, struggles with identity, defies class prejudice and yet remains fiercely loyal to Duryodhana. Columnist reactions, social posts and clips shared online over the last few days show how certain scenes — like Karna’s exchanges with Bhishma or his moments of quiet torment when compared to Arjun — still move audiences decades on.
Dheer's performance turned Karna into television’s most tragic epic hero: not a one-note villain, nor an unblemished hero, but an anti-hero torn between gratitude, ambition and conscience. The role cemented his place in Indian television history and shaped the way generations visualise that character from the Mahabharata.
From a Punjabi household to Mumbai studios
Born in Punjab, Pankaj Dheer came from a film family: his father, filmmaker C.L. Dheer, directed films such as Bahu Beti and Zindagi. Pankaj first started with small roles in films during the 1980s, but it was Mahabharat that made him a household name.
Beyond acting, he branched into filmmaking and actor training. In Mumbai he co-founded Visage Studioz with his brother Satluj Dheer, a shooting studio that underscored his interest in production. In 2010 he established the Abbhinnay Acting Academy to mentor aspiring actors — a legacy project that reflected his desire to pass on craft and discipline to younger generations.
A catalogue of memorable parts
While the shadow of Karna loomed large, Dheer remained a versatile performer. He won a second wave of fandom as King Shivdutt in the television serial Chandrakanta (1994–1996), another complex, morally shaded role: Shivdutt was a vishpurush whose very touch, kiss or scratch could be deadly. That role, too, revealed Dheer’s capacity for playing layered antagonists who fascinate rather than repel.
On television he also appeared in shows such as Kanoon, The Great Maratha, Zee Horror Show, Sasural Simar Ka, Badho Bahu, Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat and Rang Badalti Odhani. His last TV appearance was in Dhruv Tara – Samay Sadi Se Pare (2024). On the web, he was seen in the 2019 series Poison.
On the big screen, Dheer took on character roles in films including Saugandh (1991), Sadak (1991), Soldier (1998), Baadshah (1999), Tarzan: The Wonder Car (2004) and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge.
An audition story that became destiny
An oft-repeated anecdote from Dheer’s career explains how destiny — and a moustache — steered him to Karna. In an old interview he recalled auditioning for the role of Arjun. He said the production team initially felt he suited Arjun, and he had signed a contract. But when B.R. Chopra asked him to shave his moustache (required because the actor would also play Brihannala, Arjun’s eunuch form), Dheer refused — believing the shave would upset the balance of his face. Chopra angrily tore up the contract and dismissed him. Six months later Chopra called again — this time to offer the role of Karna. “It was destiny,” Dheer later reflected — and Karna became the part that defined him.
Tributes, grief and the last rites
Pankaj Dheer’s health had reportedly relapsed in recent months; sources told NDTV he had been in and out of hospital. His last rites were held at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai’s Santacruz–Vile Parle area on Wednesday evening, around 4:30 PM, in an intimate ceremony attended by family, friends and colleagues. His son Nikitin Dheer, also an actor, performed the last rites.
Several notable personalities from film and television were present to pay their respects. The funeral saw arrivals and condolences from Salman Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Hema Malini, Mika Singh, and a number of Dheer’s Mahabharat and Chandrakanta co-stars: Deep Dhillon (Jayadratha), Surendra Pal (Dronacharya), Feroz Khan (Arjun), and Shahbaz Khan (Prince Virendra Vikram Singh). Others in attendance included Mukesh Rishi, Jaya Bhattacharya, Kushal Tandon, Arbaaz Khan, as well as industry representatives such as BN Tiwari (President, FWICE) and Sushant Singh (Honorary Secretary, CINTAA).
The Cine & TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) shared a message on X (formerly Twitter):
“#CINTAA & #CAWT mourn the loss of Shri Pankaj Dheer, 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 Pawanhans Crematorium, Vile Parle (W). Om Shanti.”
Personal losses and public remembrances
Public tributes and private grief followed quickly. Veteran actress-politician Hema Malini described herself as “totally devastated,” calling Dheer a “dear friend” who was “always so affectionate” and “determined to overcome his fight with cancer.” Esha Deol, long a family friend, posted that she was “deeply saddened” and remembered his joy, laughter and warmth.
On social media fans poured out their feelings: “For us, he was never just an actor; he was Karna,” wrote one. Others celebrated his larger-than-life presence, his booming voice and the dignity he brought to every role he inhabited.
Nikitin Dheer’s post and a quietly philosophical farewell
In a post that has now gone viral, Nikitin Dheer shared, hours before his father’s death:
“Whatever comes, Let it come. Whatever stays, Let it stay. Whatever goes, Let it go. As a Shiva Bhakt, say ‘Shivarpanam’ and move on! He’ll take care!” He added that such detachment is “very hard to do.” The message — part philosophical acceptance, part prayer — struck a chord with followers and reads, in hindsight, as both a private meditation and a public farewell.
The legacy
Pankaj Dheer leaves behind his wife, Anita Dheer (a costume designer), son Nikitin Dheer (an actor known for films such as Chennai Express, Jodhaa Akbar, Sooryavanshi) and daughter-in-law Kratika Sengar (known for Ek Veer Stree Ki Kahaani – Jhansi Ki Rani). His contribution stretched beyond memorable roles: from founding a studio and training actors at his Abbhinnay Academy, to service in industry bodies (he served as General Secretary of CINTAA and Chairman of CAWT, according to CINTAA’s tribute).
He will be remembered for two things in particular: the way he made Karna real for millions — the dignity, the heartbreak, the moral ambiguity — and for a career that kept reinventing itself across television and film. When the pyre was lit at Pawan Hans, Mumbai said goodbye to an actor whose authority on screen and off had made him one of the durable faces of Indian television.
For fans who first met him on their family TV sets and for the younger actors he trained and inspired, Pankaj Dheer will remain — like the characters he played — an unforgettable figure who walked the line between light and shadow with conviction. Om Shanti.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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