Mahabharat's Roopa Ganguly aka Draupadi breaks down in tears on Pankaj Dheer’s death: "He never told me he was ill"

Mahabharat's Roopa Ganguly aka Draupadi breaks down in tears on Pankaj Dheer’s death: "He never told me he was ill"

Actor Roopa Ganguly, best remembered as Draupadi from BR Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988–1990), broke down while remembering her co-star Pankaj Dheer, who passed away this week at the age of 68. Speaking to NDTV, an emotional Roopa called him “the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj” and recalled him as a deeply dignified and gentle soul.

“I talked to him over a text probably a year ago,” she said, her voice cracking. “But he never spoke to me about his illness. I didn’t know he was unwell.” Roopa shared that although they hadn’t met in years, they often stayed in touch through occasional messages. “He was always polite, respectful, and warm. That was Pankaj. You could never associate arrogance with him.”

As she revisited their days on the sets of Mahabharat, Roopa painted a picture of camaraderie and quiet admiration. “Pankaj Dheer was the most handsome man on the set after Nitish Bharadwaj. I used to send him texts calling him ‘my most handsome friend.’ He knew people called him handsome. But he was very well-mannered and soft-spoken. Puneet Issar and Firoz Khan were a bit playful, but Pankaj was always reserved.”

Also Read: When Pankaj Dheer revealed Mahabharat producer B. R Chopra threw him out for refusing to shave moustache, "It was my big stupidity..."

Her words offered a glimpse into a man whose onscreen intensity as Karna mirrored his offscreen grace. Pankaj’s portrayal of Karna remains etched in the collective memory of Indian television audiences—his calm dignity and tragic restraint defined the character for an entire generation.
Roopa admitted that news of his death came as a shock. “I can’t believe he’s gone,” she said. “It feels like losing a part of our Mahabharat family. He was not just a co-actor but a part of a bond that time can’t erase.”

Pankaj Dheer’s final rites were held at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans crematorium on Wednesday evening. Many from the film fraternity, including Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Mika Singh, and Puneet Issar, attended to pay their respects. He is survived by his wife Anita and son Nikitin Dheer, who has followed in his father’s footsteps as an actor.

After Mahabharat, Pankaj appeared in several popular films—Sadak, Sanam Bewafa, Aashik Awara, Soldier, Baadshah, Andaz, Zameen, and Tarzan and became a familiar face in television dramas like Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, and Sasural Simar Ka. His death marks the end of an era, but his presence as Karna—the noble warrior—will continue to live on in India’s cultural memory.