Tears welled up as Roopa Ganguly, the actress who embodied Draupadi in the iconic ‘Mahabharat’ series, reflected on the untimely demise of her co-star Pankaj Dheer. Dheer, who famously played Karna, passed away on October 15, 2025, after a courageous but ultimately unsuccessful battle against cancer. Ganguly fondly remembered him as a strikingly handsome man with a gentle spirit, affectionately calling him ‘my most handsome friend.’
Ganguly learned of Dheer’s death from Nitish Bharadwaj, another key figure from the ‘Mahabharat’ cast. The news left her deeply distressed. “I can’t imagine he left us at this age. I am so sorry to hear this. I don’t know what to say,” she shared, visibly moved. She revealed that Dheer had kept his illness a secret, as they had been in touch via text messages as recently as a year ago, making the news of his passing all the more shocking.
Looking back at the filming days of ‘Mahabharat,’ Ganguly recalled Dheer’s dignified presence. She described him as exceptionally well-mannered and soft-spoken, contrasting him with the more outwardly playful actors on set. He carried himself with a quiet grace that set him apart. Ganguly, who has an extensive acting portfolio encompassing acclaimed works like the Bengali film ‘Raghu Dakat,’ expressed her profound sorrow at losing a dear friend and a gentleman.