Vikram Gokhale's demise saddens Bollywood, actors pay tributes

MUMBAI: Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale passed away after being on the ventilator for some time at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune. As news of the 'Mission Mangal' actor's death broke out, emotional messages poured in from fans and colleagues.

Several Bollywood actors took to Twitter to condole the passing of the "Hichki" actor through heartfelt posts.

Actor Raveena Tandon re-tweeted the news of the 77-year-old's passing from ANI. "Om Shanti", she wrote.

Akshay Kumar, who has appeared in a number of films with the late actor, took to Twitter to express his grief. "Very sad to know of the demise of Vikram Gokhale ji," he wrote.

"Worked with him in films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Mission Mangal, had so much to learn from him. Om Shanti," he added.

"Hera Pheri" actor Ravi Kishan paid his condolences through a tweet in Hindi. "My favourite artist Vikram Gokhale Ji is no more" he wrote.

'Uunchai' actor Anupam Kher was seemingly speechless at receiving the news. "#VikramGokhale", he wrote with three broken heart emojis. Prior to this, the 67-year-old had shared an incomplete video of Gokhale when rumours of his passing had first spread on Thursday. However, these rumours were refuted by the 'Traffic' actor's daughter.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee recalled memories of working with the National Awardee. "Had the privilege of working with him in Aiyyari and shared few great moments with him on the set !" the "Gangs of Wasseypur" actor wrote. "Saddened to hear about Shri Vikram Gokhale ji's demise. My thoughts & prayers are with the family" he added.

"Kal Ho Naa Ho" actor Delnaaz Irani also expressed grief at the "Nikamma" actor's passing. "Sad to hear about the passing of #VikramGokhale Ji, my deepest condolences to the family through this tough time. #RIPSir," she wrote.

Through the course of his long and successful career, Vikram Gokhale appeared in both Hindi and Marathi films.

Apart from acting and directing, Vikram Gokhale was a social activist and ran a charitable trust that helped children in need, and disabled soldiers. He also ran a real estate firm called Sujata Farms in Pune.