Marathi-Hindi actor-director Ravindra Mahajani (77) found dead in Pune apartment
What's the story
Marathi-Hindi actor and director Ravindra Mahajani (77), known for his work on projects such as Panipat (2019) and Mumbaicha Fauzdar (1984), has passed away.
His body was recovered on Friday when his neighbors reached out to the authorities after noticing a foul stench from his residence.
As per the police, he had already been dead for two-three days.
May he rest in peace.
Death
Neighbors informed police on Friday evening
Per media reports, Mahajani was staying at a rented apartment in the Xrbia society in Pune district's Talegaon Dabhade region for about eight months.
The neighbors raised their suspicions with the police around 4:30pm on Friday.
Once the cops arrived, they broke open the front door and recovered the deceased's body.
The authorities have reportedly sent his body for postmortem for further probe.
Police's statement
He's survived by son-actor Gashmeer Mahajni, his family
Talegaon MIDC Police Station's Senior Inspector Shivaji Gaware told The Times of India, "Our team broke the door and found Mahajani dead inside the flat. The body was sent to Talegaon Dabhade hospital for autopsy."
Reportedly, the police have informed his family about his demise.
He is survived by his son and actor, Gashmeer Mahajani (Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 10), daughter-in-law, and grandson.
Cause of death
Police sources say he underwent surgery recently
While the yesteryear actor's cause of death will be clear only in the coming days, a report by ETV Bharat quoting police sources states that he had undergone surgery sometime back and, resultantly, could not move around much.
The portal quoted the investigation officers and reported that they are speculating that he might have passed away while changing his clothes after taking a bath.
Career
Career: He was compared to Hindi superstar Vinod Khanna
Mahajani was fondly called the "Vinod Khanna of the Marathi film industry" due to his charming looks and his resemblance to the Hindi superstar.
He prominently featured in Marathi cinema from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
Some of the movies he was part of include Saat Hindustani, Mumbaicha Fauzdar, Sarja, Bolo He Chakradhari, and Asha Puramani Ni Chindri, among others.