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Remembering Pankaj Dheer: Mahabharat Arrow Accident and Cancer Battle
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Moneycontrol•15-10-2026, 16:35
Remembering Pankaj Dheer: Mahabharat Arrow Accident and Cancer Battle
- •Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer passed away on October 15, 2025, at the age of 68 after battling pancreatic cancer.
- •On his first death anniversary, a harrowing incident from the sets of BR Chopra's Mahabharat revealed how an arrow nearly cost him his eyesight.
- •Pankaj recalled another life-threatening accident where he had to leap from a moving chariot to prevent falling into a gorge.
- •Despite demanding conditions and modest earnings of Rs 3,000 per episode, his portrayal of Karna became iconic in Indian television history.
Key Questions Answered
Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer passed away on October 15, 2025, at the age of 68 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Principal actors in BR Chopra's Mahabharat received approximately Rs 3,000 per episode, and they were not paid during weeks when they did not shoot.
During a war sequence, the welding of Pankaj Dheer's moving chariot broke, causing the charioteer to fall and get run over while the free-running chariot headed toward a gorge, forcing the actor to jump off to save his life.
