Pankaj Dheer recovered from cancer, but relapsed last year, reveals Mahabharat co-star Puneet Issar: ‘I lost my brother’

Actor Pankaj Dheer passed away on Wednesday. His Mahabharat co-star Puneet Issar opened up about his 'brother's' health challenges and expressed his grief.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | October 16, 2025 06:00 PM IST

2 min read

Puneet Issar reacts to Pankaj Dheer's death (Photo: ColorsTV/Facebook)

Actor Pankaj Dheer, best known for playing the role of Karna in BR Chopra’s famous show Mahabharat, passed away in Mumbai at 68, on Wednesday. He had been suffering from cancer. In a recent interview, his close-friend Puneet Issar, who played the role of Duryodhan in Mahabharat, opened up about his relationship with Pankaj. He also spoke about how he was on the road to recovery but the disease relapsed last year.

During a conversation with Times Of India, Puneet shared that Pankaj was not just his brother in the show Mahabharat, but also off screen. Their fathers were friends, and their families have also known each other for a very long time. He further added that the late actor had been battling cancer since a few years. “He recovered once, but unfortunately, it relapsed last year, and he had been undergoing treatment since then. Today, I’ve lost my brother,” he said.

The veteran actor revealed that their friendship deepened during the making of Mahabharat. He used to call him ‘Puneetos‘, and Puneet called him ‘Pinks’. He also said that he had met him just 20 days ago at his home. Puneet expressed that he is in shock and at a loss for words. He can’t even begin to speak about the good times they shared over the decades. His son, Nikitin (Dheer), grew up in front of him.

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The duo even shared a great camaraderie as Karna and Duryodhan on the show. They were very close and they were able to showcase that bond so naturally because of their real-life friendship. He said that Pankaj was a talented actor and a wonderful human being. He wished peace and strength for his family.

Besides Mahabharat, Pankaj Dheer featured in several films such as Baadshah, Tumko Na bhool Payenge, and Zameen. He had also starred in TV shows like Sasural Simar Ka, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and others. The actor is survived by his wife, son Nikitin Dheer, and daughter-in-law Kratika Sengar.