India, Oct. 15 -- Veteran actor Pankaj Dheer, popularly known for playing Karna in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, passed away on October 15 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Lamenting the loss, his former co-stars pay a tribute to him, remembering what a joyful person Pankaj Dheer was.

He was one of the finest gentlemen I've ever worked with (in Mahabharat), and as a human being too, he crosses the epitome of every humanity angle. He will really be missed. He was my school contemporary, and although we were in different schools, we used to play cricket together. I would say that Pankaj was a person who had a very infectious smile and he saw to it that everybody smiled and laughed around him.

Pankaj ji was the first senior actor I ever had ...