Film, TV industry pay tributes to Sidharth Shukla: Your glow will be with us forever

Film and TV artists, including Akshay Kumar, Manoj Bajpyee, Farah Khan, and Rubina Dilaik among others on Thursday mourned the death of popular actor Sidharth Shukla and said his passing away was an "irreplaceable" loss for the industry.

It is learned that the 40-year-old actor suffered a massive heart attack in the morning. He was brought dead to the city's Cooper Hospital, an official told PTI.

Shukla was best known for his role in the long-running TV show "Balika Vadhu" and reached unprecedented fame after winning season 13 of the reality TV show "Bigg Boss" in 2020. He is survived by his mother and two sisters.

Bajpayee took to Twitter and wrote he was yet to come to terms with the actor's death.

"OMG! This is so shocking! Words will fail to describe the shock and sense of loss of his near and dear ones! May he rest in peace," he said.

Kumar said he was saddened to know about Shukla's passing away. "I didn't know him personally but it's heartbreaking to know of such a talented life gone so soon. Om Shanti," he added. Actor Himanshi Khurana, who was Shukla's co-contestant on 'Bigg Boss' season 13, tweeted that it was 'hard to believe' that the actor is no more. Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla, who also appeared as a contestant with Shukla on the reality show, wrote he was ''speechless and heartbroken''.

"We remained in touch post #BiggBoss13. Sending my deepest condolences to his mother who he loved so dearly. I love you #SidharthShukla& will miss you!" Poonawalla added.

Filmmaker Farah Khan paid tributes to the actor on Twitter.

"Can this year get any worse??! Shocked and extremely saddened to hear about @sidharth_shukla's demise. My heart goes out to his family," she wrote.

Dilaik, who was the winner of last year's "Bigg Boss", on which Shukla made a brief appearance, posted a note on Instagram.

"Numb! May your soul rest in peace," the actor captioned the note, with a heartbreak emoticon.

Shukla began his career in showbiz as a model and made his acting debut with a lead role in the television show "Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na".

He later appeared on shows such as "Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi", "Love U Zindagi" but became a household name with "Balika Vadhu".

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote Shukla's passing away was tragic and hoped his death was given dignity. "This is extremely sad and disturbing. Hope this time for sadness, reflection and mourning does not get converted into a Tamasha by some idiots," Mehta wrote.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh said he was "shocked beyond words".

"Gone too soon…. Condolences to his family loved ones. - He was loved by millions. #SiddharthShukla you will be missed - rest in peace brother. Om Shanti." "Shocked and sad to know about Sidharth Shukla. Gone too soon. Prayers. Rest in peace," tweeted actor-comedian Sunil Grover.

Former 'Bigg Boss' winner Vindu Dara Singh said Shukla's death was an 'irreplaceable' loss.

"Gone too soon bro @sidharth_shukla your glow will be with us forever and your loss is just irreplaceable! There was no winner like you in #Biggboss and there never will be another..." Singh wrote.

Actor and TV host Maniesh Paul said he was 'numb' with the passing away of Shukla.

"This is unbelievable! Rip. Really, really sad. Co-worker, friend...gone," Paul tweeted.

Actor Neha Dhupia took to Twitter and wrote, "This is just such sad and shocking news and so difficult to process. My heartfelt condolences to the family." Shukla's death was an unfortunate reminder of life's uncertainty, said actor Arjun Bijlani.

"This is it. Life is so uncertain. It can happen to anybody. Rip brother. Too soon. May God gives strength to your family and everyone who loved you so so much," Bijlani added.

'The Lunchbox' actor Nimrat Kaur tweeted that Shukla's death was 'terribly shocking and distressing' news.

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal took to Twitter and wrote, "It is really really sad. Beyond words." Apart from featuring on TV shows, Shukla has also made his Bollywood debut in 2014 with the Karan Johar-produced "Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania" where he had a supporting role opposite Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt.