Sameer Khakhar, Veteran Actor of ‘Nukkad’ Fame, Passes Away at 71

Sameer Khakhar was admitted to MM Hospital in Borivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday morning after he experienced some respiratory issues.

It was reported that veteran actor Sameer Khakhar, known for his role in the 1980s classic Nukkad, passed away at the age of 71 on Wednesday morning due to multiple organ failure.

He had been admitted to MM Hospital in Borivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday morning after experiencing respiratory problems. His brother, Ganesh, confirmed the news. He said that Sameer was taken to the hospital after they called the doctor and was later placed in the ICU.

Unfortunately, he passed away at 4.30 am on Wednesday. His last notable role was in the Prime Video series “Farzi.”

Actor Sameer Khakhar’s last rites were conducted at a Borivali crematorium, with his family and friends from Gujarati theatre in attendance.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta paid a heartfelt tribute to the actor, who he was nicknamed after due to his iconic character in Nukkad. Mehta said goodbye to the actor, thanking him for the memories.

Earlier this year, news of Khakhar searching for work sparked the interest of film industry figures like Satish Shah and Gulshan Devaiah after a tweet from a journalist was shared.

The actor had confirmed that he was seeking employment, saying, “Everybody is looking for work and so am I. And by looking for work I mean approaching and applying for a job.

In the case of actors, it is a daily exercise with every film or show. But I am a bad salesman.” He went on to express his determination to entertain people through his work until his last breath, adding “I want to work till my last breath. I want to entertain people all my life, I am not tired yet.”

Sameer Khakhar’s breakthrough was playing the role of Khopdi in Kundan Shah and Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s “Nukkad”.

Although he was typecast in similar roles, his career extended for nearly four decades. In addition to the aforementioned roles, he starred in ‘Shrimaan Shrimati’, ‘Adaalat’, ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’.