‘Nukkad’ actor Sameer Khakhar passes away

Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar, who was popularly known for playing Khopdi in the famous TV series Nukkad, on Doordarshan, passed away on Wednesday (March 15) due to multiple organ failure. He was 71. Over the course of his 38-year acting career, he appeared in numerous TV shows, films and was also a part of Gujarati theatre.

Besides Nukkad, he was seen in TV shows such as Manorajan, Circus, Shrimaan Shrimati, Adaalat and Sanjivani. He had played a key role in Salman Khan’s Jai Ho and was last seen in web series Sunflower.

Sameer Khakhar’s cousin Ganesh Khakhar confirmed the news of actor’s demise: “He was suffering from respiratory issues, then went to sleep and became unconscious. We called the doctor and he suggested that we admit him to the hospital. He was kept on ventilator, but gradually he collapsed at 4:30 am this morning.”

Paying a tribute to Sameer Khakhar, famous director Hansal Mehta took to Twitter and wrote, “For some reason I was nicknamed Khopdi in college after his iconic character in Nukkad. My closest friends from the time still call me Khopdi. But I guess it’s time to say goodbye. Goodbye Sameer Khakhar. Thank you for the memories.”