Veteran Bollywood actor and comedian Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. Several Bollywood stars paid tributes to him on social media. Now, Salman Khan has shared a post on X that he is ‘saddened’ to hear about his demise.

Salman Khan’s post

Taking to his X account, Salman shared a picture of the veteran star and wrote in the caption, “Saddened to hear of Asrani Ji’s demise. A true legend of laughter. #RIP.”

From Akshay Kumar to Aamir Khan, several stars penned notes on the demise of Asrani. Manoj Bajpayee wrote, “Deeply saddened by the passing of Asrani Sir. Working with him in Dus Tola was a privilege. His warmth, humour and humility will always stay with me. I learnt so much from our conversations and from his passion for teaching and the craft of acting. Om Shanti.”

Asrani dead at 84

Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness. He was 84. On Monday, news agency ANI tweeted, “Actor-director Govardhan Asrani, popularly known as ‘Asrani’ passed away in Mumbai today after a prolonged illness. His last rites were performed at Santacruz Crematorium.”

Asrani’s manager, Babubhai Thiba, told ANI – “Asrani passed away today at 3 PM at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu. He is survived by his wife, sister, and nephew.”

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Asrani became one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved faces. Known for his impeccable comic timing and expressive performances, he appeared in over 350 films. Among his many roles, his portrayal of the jail warden in the 1975 classic Sholay remains an iconic part of Indian pop culture. In recent times, he featured in projects such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Dhamaal, Bunty Aur Babli 2, R… Rajkumar, All The Best, and Welcome. He is survived by his wife, Manju Asrani, his sister, and nephew. The couple had no children.