Shah Rukh Khan's Circus co-star Sunil Shende passes away; fans and celebs pay heartfelt tribute

Bollywood today lost yet another gem today. Veteran actor Sunil Shende passed away on 14th November at his home at the age of 75.

Cause of his death

The actor breathed his last at his Vile Parle residence in Mumbai. Speaking to a news agency, film and music critic Pavan Jha confirmed the news saying, "He died at his residence in Vile Parle at 1 am last night and his body was cremated this afternoon at the Hindu crematorium in Parshiwada."

The cause of Shende's death was not immediately known.

News of his death was confirmed by Pavan Jha who tweeted, "Noted Hindi & Marathi character actor Sunil Shende passed away yday. #RIPHe started with a miniscule role in Gandhi-82 & went on to do some small, some significant roles in Hindi Cinema of 80s & 90s. He played @iamsrk's Babuji, d Circus owner in Circus (TV-DD) @SukanyaVerma."

The last rites took place today afternoon

According to reports, his funeral procession left at 1 pm. His last rites and cremation took place at the Parshiwada Hindu crematorium. The actor's wife Jyoti, sons Omkar and Rishikesh, daughter-in-law and grandchildren are his successors.

Professional front

The actor had a glorious career of over 30 years. One of his pioneering roles on Indian television was the in the TV show Shanti, the cult TV show's protagonist was Mandira Bedi on which the show was hugely based. He also played the deputy commissioner of police in Aamir Khan-starrer Sarfarosh, and the police officers role in Rohit Shetty's Zameen, headlined by Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan. He was known for essaying supporting characters in movies such as Gandhi, Khal Nayak, Ghayaal, Ziddi, Daud, Magan and Viruddh. The actor was known for his role in Sha Rukh Khan starrer Circus. 

Fans and celebs pay heartfelt tribute to the actor

Television star Anirudh Dave condoled the veteran actor's demise.

The minute the news of Sunil's demise was announced, fans took to Twitter to pay their respects. One user wrote, "Sad to hear of the demise of a very fine actor and a friend Shri. Sunil Shende May his soul rest in peace RIP."

Another user wrote, "Sad news indeed! We all Parlekars can never forget him. Prayers."

May his soul rest in peace.