Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale passes away; PM Modi, leader offer condolence

Mumbai, Nov 25: Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale, who was undergoing treatment in a Pune hospital, passed away on Saturday.

Gokhale was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Pune after his health deteriorated on Wednesday. His condition was critical. He was aged 77 and survived by his wife and two daughters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of veteran actor Vikram Gokhale and said he will be remembered for the many interesting roles he played in his long career. "Vikram Gokhale ji was a creative and versatile actor. He will be remembered for many interesting roles in his long acting career. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family, friends and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.

Maharashtra's former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed his condolences over the death of the renowned actor Vikram Gokhale and said that he was shocked to hear about the actor's demise.

He was the consummate actor, who was last seen in the 2021 Marathi movie "Godavari" and won the National Award for best actor for his portrayal of a man watching helplessly as his wife slips into a coma in "Anumati".

"Vikram has gone. Can't believe it. He was in touch till yesterday. He had strong opinions on many subjects. Clear communication was his specialty. He was a popular Marathi face in Hindi cinema. His passing is shocking. It seemed that he would come back after beating death, but unfortunately. I pay my respects to this great contemporary leader," he said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "The moving university of acting has disappeared." "The cinema and theater industry has suffered irreparable loss due to the death of veteran actor Vikram Gokhale, who graced both Marathi and Hindi cinema. He was not only an accomplished actor, director, stage artist, but also a man with a big heart and a wide social consciousness," Fadanvis stated.

"With the death of Vikram Gokhale, the moving university of acting has disappeared. I pay my heartfelt tributes to Vikram Gokhale who did justice to every role and brought life to that character. May his family and his millions of fans find the strength to bear this loss, pray to God!" the Maharashtra Deputy CM added.

Who was Vikram Gokhale?

Born in Pune on 14 November, 1945, his father Chandrakant Gokhale was a veteran Marathi film and stage artist and acted in over 70 Marathi and Hindi films. Hence, the theatre and film industry was not new to him. More importantly, his grandmother Durgabai Kamat is credit as the first female actress to work in the Indian cinema.

Known for playing men of authority on screen, Gokhale, an actor equally at home in theatre, television and movies, has acted in several Marathi and Bollywood films, including the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer ''Agneepath'' (1990), ''Bhool Bhulaiyaa'' (2007), ''Natsamrat'' (2015) and ''Mission Mangal'' (2019). His latest release is the Marathi film ''Godavari''.

Gokhale made his directorial debut in 2010, with the Marathi film 'Aaghaat'. Produced by Sprint Arts Creation and executive producer Rajesh Damble, the film is based on a story written by Dr. Nitin Lavangare. The cast of the film includes actors Mukta Barve and Dr. Amol Kolhe and was shot in Pune.

He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2011 for his acting in theatre, given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama.

He won the National Film Award for Best Actor category for his Marathi film 'Anumati' in 2013. In February 2016, due to a throat ailment, Gokhale retired from stage activities, though he continued film work.

With inputs from PTI