Actor Pankaj Dheer, whose impressive turn as the wronged prince Karna in the television epic, ‘Mahabharat’ (1988), embedded him in a generation’s memory, passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 68. Dheer was suffering from cancer. “He had been in and out of hospital in the past months,” producer and friend Ashoke Pandit told PTI.In an interview to the video magazine, ‘Lehren Retro’, the actor once revealed that he had refused the part of Arjun in the BR Chopra production because he was asked to shave off his moustache. “It was foolishness,” he admitted. Six months later he was offered Karna which didn’t require him to shave off facial hair.Dheer’s family roots went back to Kasur, a town south of Lahore, in pre-independence India. But the son of producer-director CL Dheer (‘Bahu Beti’, ‘Alingan’) had grown up in Bandra, Mumbai. The TV show’s Sanskritised dialogues triggered performance anxiety.The actor sought tips from Rahi Masoom Raza, who had co-written the show. Among other things, Raza suggested that he should read aloud the Hindi daily, ‘Navbharat Times’, a sister publication of The Times of India, everyday. With his imposing presence and empathetic voice, Dheer executed an unforgettable Karna drawing the audience’s sympathy. The role gave him what every actor yearns for: fame, adulation and a steady career.When the character died in the serial, many shaved off their hair in Bastar, then part of Madhya Pradesh. “At the behest of (then) chief minister Arjun Singh, I flew there and consoled the mourners, assuring them that I was alive. It was something you believe only when you see it,” he recalled in the interview.Pankaj Dheer also said, “Many people do not know my name, but they recognize me as Karna. Even today, my face is published as Karna’s face in textbooks.”The role opened doors in television and films leading to nearly 100 TV shows and films. One of his most remembered roles was of King Shivdutt in the mega fantasy, ‘Chandrakanta’ (1994). Two notable films were Bobby Deol’s ‘Soldier’ (1998) and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Baadshah’ (1999), where he played a scheming security chief.Dheer’s passing was mourned on social media. Among those who attended the funeral were fellow actors from Mahabharat, and Salman Khan, with whom he had worked in films such as ‘Sanam Bewafa’ (1991).
