The industry was reeling following the death of actor Pankaj Dheer on Wednesday, with several close friends and collaborators expressing their shock and grief.

Among those mourning the actor is Gajendra Chauhan, who worked with Pankaj in the iconic television series Mahabharat.

Also Read | RIP Pankaj Dheer: Did you know he was to play Arjun in Mahabharat but got Karna’s due to a ‘bewakoofi’?

While Pankaj (68) played Karn, Gajendra portrayed Yudhishthira on the show.

Gajendra says that even his battle with pancreatic cancer did not dampen the late actor’s spirits.

“He used to tell us, ‘Don’t worry, I will overcome this’,” he shares, recalling his friend’s sense of humour with fondness. “Everyone thought he was a very serious person, but he had the best sense of humour. Logon ke 100 punch aur unka ek punch bhari padta tha. He wasn’t just a friend or co-artiste, but a family member to us,” says 69-year-old Gajendera.

Recounting their first meeting, he shares, “When I first saw him, I thought to myself, ‘He is such a good looking man. He will take up all of our jobs’. But after a few minutes, I felt like we had known each other forever,” he ends.