Actor Mukul Dev, best known for his roles in films such as Son of Sardaar, R… Rajkumar, and Jai Ho, died on Friday night. He was 54.
The cause of death has not been confirmed yet. A statement from his family or close associates is awaited.
Actress Deepshikha Nagpal, a close friend, confirmed the news via social media. She shared an old photograph with Mukul Dev on Instagram Stories with the message, “Can’t believe this. RIP.”
Deepshikha, who worked with the late actor in Teri Bhabhi Hai Pagle and Maya 3, told IANS, “And we were more than that-we were friends. We had this group, we used to chat on the (phone) group. We always updated each other. But this time, he never said anything-that he’s not well or anything. It is unbelievable.”
She added, “I have no words. The whole world knows about it. It’s so shocking. I still can’t believe it. I still feel it must be fake news. And sometimes it’s fake news. I woke up with this. And I called on his phone only. Thinking he’ll pick up.”
The actress concluded, “Nobody knows the reason behind his sudden death. We just heard that he was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I can’t tell because I don’t know how far it’s true. So no point in spreading rumors, you know. The worst thing is he’s no more. And it’s the biggest loss for the industry. Because he’s an amazing actor, an amazing human being. Because of my busy schedule and his things, we couldn’t meet. But we knew that he’s here-with this “let’s meet” thing. But I had no clue that he’s not well. It’s just not right.”
Mukul Dev was last seen in the Hindi film Anth The End. He was the younger brother of actor Rahul Dev.
Born in New Delhi to a Punjabi family, Mukul Dev had roots in a village near Jalandhar. His father, Hari Dev, served as an assistant commissioner of police and introduced him to Afghan culture. He was fluent in Pashto and Persian.
Mukul Dev’s first experience with performance came while he was in Class 8, when he impersonated Michael Jackson in a dance show organised by Doordarshan. He received his first pay cheque for this act.
He was also a trained pilot, having studied at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi.
Mukul began his acting career in television with the serial Mumkin in 1996, playing the role of Vijay Pandey. He later appeared in Doordarshan’s Ek Se Badh Kar Ek, a Bollywood countdown comedy show, and also hosted the first season of Fear Factor India.
He made his film debut with Dastak, where he played ACP Rohit Malhotra. The film also marked the acting debut of former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen.
