Veteran actor Vikram Gokhale passes away at the age of 77

Indian veteran actor Vikram Gokhale has passed away. He was 77. The actor breathed his last at Pune's Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital.

Gokhale was hospitalised earlier this month in a critical condition and was kept on life support. He had multiple health issues. The actor showed some signs of recovery in the last few days, but on Saturday morning his health deteriorated.

"This is to confirm that Mr. Vikram Gokhale passed away this afternoon. We would like to thank everyone for their good wishes, support, and prayers through this difficult time," his daughter has said in a statement, reports Indian Express.

A few days ago, several reports suggesting that a veteran actor had passed away started surfacing on social media. However, hours later, Gokhale's family refuted news of his death and stated that the actor had slipped into a coma.

Gokhale's body will be kept at Balgandharv Rangmanch for a few hours. His last rites will be conducted at 6 p.m. at Vaikunth Samshan Bhumi in Pune, the hospital said in a statement.

His glorious career - 

In a career spanning more than four decades, Gokhale has appeared in various Marathi and Bollywood films, including 'Agneepath,' starring Amitabh Bachchan; 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,' with Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in 1999; and 'Bhool Bhulaiya,' starring Akshay Kumar, 'De Dana Dan', 'Firangi' among others.

In 2010, Gokhale was bestowed with the National Award for Best Actor for his outstanding work in the Marathi film 'Anumati.' He was last seen in the Marathi film 'Godavari'.

Personal life- 

Born in Pune, India, Gokhale was the son of the famous Marathi theatre and film actor, Chandrakant Gokhale. His great-grandmother, Durgabai Kamat, was a Marathi actress, and was the first actress in Indian cinema, while his grandmother Kamlabai Gokhale was the first female child actor in Indian cinema.

He is survived by his wife Vrushali Gokhle and two daughters.