'Mahabharat', 'Chandrakanta' star Pankaj Dheer dies at 68

Television star Pankaj Dheer, known for playing Karna in B R Chopra's ''Mahabharat'' and king Shivdutt in fantasy drama ''Chandrakanta'', has died at the age of 68 following a battle with cancer.

''He passed away due to cancer this morning. He had been in and out of hospital in the past months,'' producer and friend Ashoke Pandit told PTI.

The cremation will be held later in the day.

Dheer, who hailed from Punjab, started out as an actor in the 1980s, featuring in minor roles in many movies.

His big break came in 1988 when he was cast as Karna in the small screen adaptation of Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. After that, his popularity peaked and he starred in many movies such as ''Sadak'', ''Sanam Bewafa'' and ''Aashik Awara''.

From 1994 to 1996, Dheer starred in TV series ''Chandrakanta'', loosely based on author Devaki Nandan Khatri's 1888 novel of the same name. He essayed the popular role of Shivdutt, the king of fictional kingdom of Chunargarh.

Some of his notable movies also include Bobby Deol's ''Soldier'', Shah Rukh Khan's ''Baadshah'', Akshay Kumar's ''Andaz'', and Ajay Devgn's ''Zameen'' and ''Tarzan'.

In the late 2000s, Dheer appeared in many daily soaps ''Teen Bahuraaniyaan'', ''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'' and ''Sasural Simar Ka''. Dheer is survived by wife Anita Dheer and son Nikitin Dheer, who is also an actor.