Praveen Kumar Sobti, Bheem in 'Mahabharat' TV series, dies

Praveen Kumar Sobti represented India across various athletic events in hammer and discus throw and won four medals at the Asian Games. (Image credit: @BSF_India/Twitter)

Actor-athlete Praveen Kumar Sobti, best known for playing Bheem in the TV series "Mahabharat" and for winning an Asian Games gold medal, died following a cardiac arrest late Monday evening. He was 74.

The actor died at his Ashok Vihar residence in Delhi. "He had a chronic chest infection problem. At night, when he started feeling uneasy, we called the doctor at home. He passed away between 10-10.30 pm following a cardiac arrest," a relative of Sobti told PTI.

Praveen Kumar Sobti represented the country across various athletic events in hammer and discus throw and even won four medals at the Asian Games, including two gold medals in 1966 and 1970. He also won a silver medal in Hammer Throw during the 1966 Commonwealth Games.

The athlete gained further popularity after he began his acting career and featured as Bheem in BR Chopra's classic "Mahabharat" in 1988. He is survived by wife, daughter, two younger brothers and a sister.