Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar from 1980s ’Nukkad fame passes away at 71
Sameer was admitted to MM Hospital in Borivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday morning after he experienced some respiratory issues.
Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his role in 1980s classic Nukkad passed away at 71. He died at a hospital in the early hours of Wednesday due to multiple organ failure. Sameer was admitted to MM Hospital in Borivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday morning after he experienced some respiratory issues.
The actor was recently seen in the Prime Video series "Farzi."
The news of the actor's demise was confirmed by his brother Ganesh. He informed that Sameer died due to multiple organ failure on Wednesday.
As per Ganesh, "He experienced some respiratory issues yesterday morning, we called the doctor home and he asked to get him admitted. So we took him to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU. He then had multiple organ failures and today at 4.30 am he passed away."
The last rites of the actor were conducted at a Borivali crematorium in the presence of his family and some friends from Sameer Khakhar days in Gujarati theatre.
After learning about the unfortunate news, filmmaker Hansal Mehta paid a heartfelt tribute.
"For some reason I was nicknamed Khopdi in college after his iconic character in Nukkad. My closest friends from the time still call me Khopdi. But I guess it's time to say goodbye to the OG. Goodbye Sameer Khakhar. Thank you for the memories," he wrote.
Earlier in 2021, Khakhar hit the headlines after a tweet from a film journalist, informing industry people that the actor was looking for work, caught the attention of industry colleagues such as Satish Shah and Gulshan Devaiah.
“Everybody is looking for work and so am I. And by looking for work I mean approaching and applying for a job. In the case of actors, it is a daily exercise with every film or show. But I am a bad salesman," the actor had told PTI in January 2021. "I am hopeful people who know me will offer me work. I would like to work till my last breath. I want to entertain people all my life, I am not tired yet,” he added.
His claim to fame may have been playing the inebriated Khopdi in Kundan Shah and Saeed Akhtar Mirza's "Nukkad", but the actor didn't like being stereotyped.
Sameer Khakhar's career spanned nearly four decades.
He rose to fame with his roles in TV shows 'Nukkad' and 'Circus'.
He was also featured in 'Shrimaan Shrimati', and 'Adaalat'.
He played vital roles in films, including 'Hasee Toh Phasee', 'Jai Ho', 'Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi'.
(With inputs from agencies)
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First Published:15 Mar 2023, 01:59 PM IST
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