Sholay actor Viju Khote passes away at 78
Veteran actor Viju Khote passed away on Monday around 7 am in Mumbai. The cause of his death is not known yet. He was 77.
The actor, best known for his role as Kaalia in Sholay, has worked in over 300 films, including Bollywood and Marathi. The actor is related to veteran actors Shubha Khote and Durga Khote.
"He passed away today at 6.55 am peacefully in his sleep at the residence. He has been unwell since quite sometime. He had multiple organ failure," actor Bhavana Balsavar, his niece, told PTI.
"He did not wish to die in the hospital so we had brought him home few days ago. It is a great loss for all of us," she said.
The last rites of the actor will be performed at Chandan Wadi around 11 am.
Journalist Faridoon Shahryar shared the sad news on social media. "Sad News: Mr Viju Khote passed away today. He had been working in movies since 1964 and is most famous for playing Kalia in #Sholay," he tweeted.
Viju Khote;s dialogue from Sholay -- "sardar maine aapka namak khaaya hai" -- is extremely popular even today.
Besides his Kaalia avatar, the actor is also known for his role Robert in Aamir Khan and Salman Khan-starrer Andaz Apna Apna.
Not just films, Viju Khote also took his talent to the stage and was a prominent artist in Marathi theatres.
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