Sameer Khakhar, Who Played Khopdi In Nukkad, Dies Due To Organ Failure

Mumbai: Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his roles in TV shows such as Nukkad and Circus, passed away at a hospital here on Wednesday morning due to multiple organ failure, his younger brother Ganesh Khakhar said. While the film industry was still recovering with the sudden demise of actor Satish Kaushik, the passing away of Sameer Khakhar has come as a big blow to the entire fraternity.

Sameer Khakhar was 71 and is survived by his wife. The last rites of the actor will be held at 10.30 am at a crematorium in Borivali today.

Ganesh said Sameer Khakhar was admitted to MM Hospital in Borivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday morning following respiratory issues. "He had respiratory problems since yesterday and later he went into an unconscious state, so we had called the doctor at home and he asked us to hospitalise him. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of MM Hospital. Slowly and gradually, he suffered multiple organs failure, he was unconscious and then he collapsed. He passed away at 4.30 am today," Ganesh Khakhar told PTI on Wednesday.

Some of Sameer Khakhar's notable work includes TV show Shrimaan Shrimati, and films such as Parinda, Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho, Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra's Hasee Toh Phasee, Sudhir Mishra-directed Serious Men, and Vikas Bahl's web-series Sunflower.

His most memorable role perhaps was Khopdi in the classic TV serial Nukkad. His most remarkable role was in the dialogue-free 'Pushpaka Vimana' (1987) of the alcoholic businessman who gets kidnapped by the hero – Kamal Haasan.

(With PTI inputs)