How did Govardhan Asrani die? 'Sholay' actor, 84, shared Diwali wishes hours before death

Veteran Bollywood actor Govardhan Asrani died in Mumbai at the age of 84 on Monday evening.

He was cremated later in the evening at Santacruz Crematorium in Mumbai. Hours before his death, Asrani shared Diwali wishes on social media.

How did Asrani die?

The comedian, who is known for Sholay and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, was fighting age-related illness for a prolonged time. He was admitted to hospital for the past five days. He breathed his last around 3.45 pm.

In May, Asrani made headlines when he shared a throwback photo from Bawarchi (1972), which starred Rajesh Khanna in the lead role. The photo showed Khanna, Jaya Bhaduri (now Jaya Bachchan) and other cast, including Asrani, posing for a still.

Asrani has appeared in more than 400 Hindi and Gujarati films, which include roles as lead character, supporting cast and comedian. He is remembered for his iconic role as the jailer in Sholay. The famous dialogue of the character, "Hum Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailer hain", is still remembered by fans.

He has appeared in 25 films alongside Rajesh Khanna between 1972 and 1991. Other notable movies include Mere Apne, Chupke Chupke, Chhoti Si Baat, and Parichay.

Asrani was born on January 1, 1941 and hails from a Sindhi family in Jaipur. He completed his studies from St Xavier's School, Jaipur. He learnt acting under Sahitya Kalbhai Thakkar in the early 1960s and moved to Mumbai to act in movies. Asrani married actress Manju Bansal, with whom he acted in Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar and Namak Haram.