The legendary Roopa Ganguly, celebrated for her role as Draupadi in the epic ‘Mahabharat,’ shared heartfelt memories of her late co-star Pankaj Dheer, who portrayed Karna in the series. Dheer passed away on October 15, 2025, following a prolonged struggle with cancer. Ganguly spoke of Dheer’s gentle nature, describing him as a well-mannered and soft-spoken gentleman whom she affectionately called ‘my most handsome friend.’
Ganguly admitted to being stunned by the news, which she first heard from Nitish Bharadwaj, another prominent actor from ‘Mahabharat.’ She expressed her shock and sorrow, stating, ‘I can’t imagine he left us at this age. I am so sorry to hear this.’ Although they had exchanged text messages within the last year, Dheer had never mentioned his fight with cancer, leaving Ganguly unprepared for the devastating news.
On set, Ganguly remembered Dheer for his quiet charisma and composed demeanor. She playfully referred to him as the most handsome man on set, noting that he was aware of this perception. Unlike the more jovial personalities of actors like Puneet Issar and Firoz Khan, Dheer was consistently reserved and dignified. Ganguly, a 58-year-old actress with a significant body of work in both television and film, including ‘Krantikaal’ and ‘At the End of it All,’ mourns the loss of a cherished colleague.