The entertainment industry is mourning the loss of veteran actor Pankaj Dheer, best known for his portrayal of Karna in the iconic television series Mahabharat. Dheer passed away on October 15, 2025, in Mumbai, at the age of 68, after a battle with cancer. While fans remember his prolific career, a poignant chapter of his family's history reveals a significant financial hardship they faced due to a promise made by his father to actress Geeta Bali.
Pankaj Dheer's father, C.L. Dheer, was a respected filmmaker. In an interview, Pankaj recounted how his family "lost everything" because of a promise his father made to Geeta Bali on her deathbed in 1965. C.L. Dheer and Geeta Bali were co-producing the film Raano, which starred Dharmendra and Bali in leading roles. Both had invested equally in the project.
As filming neared completion, Geeta Bali suggested filming her scenes last. However, just three days before she was scheduled to shoot her remaining scenes, she contracted smallpox while in Punjab. "Almost 6-7 days of work were left, so Geeta Bali suggested that he could finish everything else and film her scenes at the end," Pankaj Dheer said. "The entire film was ready; only three days of her scenes remained. You can call it bad luck… she got infected with smallpox".
Tragically, Geeta Bali did not recover. On her deathbed, she asked C.L. Dheer to promise that he would shelve the film after her passing. Despite efforts from industry legends like Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari to convince C.L. Dheer to complete the film with another actress, he remained firm in his commitment to Bali. Dilip Kumar even offered to appear on screen to plead with the audience to accept Meena Kumari in Geeta Bali's role. "But my father insisted that this film is gone with Geeta," Pankaj recalled.
The decision to honor the promise had severe financial repercussions. "All the money invested was lost," Pankaj stated. C.L. Dheer went into a shell, and the family endured a tough time. Pankaj Dheer began working as a teenager to support his family after the financial loss.
Despite the early hardships, Pankaj Dheer persevered, carrying forward his father's legacy in the film industry. He initially was cast as Arjuna in Mahabharat, but was then offered the role of Karna. His portrayal of Karna, the son of Surya, in Mahabharat (1988) made him a household name and earned him widespread recognition. His "calm yet commanding presence made the warrior prince one of the most loved and respected characters in Indian television history". His image as Karna was so iconic that it appeared in textbooks.
Pankaj Dheer's journey, marked by both early financial struggles and later success, serves as a testament to his resilience and dedication to his craft. He is survived by his wife, Anita Dheer, and his son, Nikitin Dheer, who is also an actor.
