Balika Vadhu, Big Boss fame actor Sidharth Shukla dies at 40

Popular actor and model Sidharth Shukla, best known as the winner of Big Boss 13 and for the TV show Balika Vadhu, died on Thursday (August 2) after suffering from a massive heart attack. Shukla, 40, is survived by his mother and two sisters.

Mumbai’s Cooper Hospital where he was rushed to after the attack, have confirmed the death.

“He was brought dead to the hospital some time ago,” a senior Cooper Hospital official said.

Shukla’s death has come as a shock for the TV and film industry with many of his colleagues including actors Sunil Grover, Himanshi Khurana and Devoleena Bhattacharjee posting condolences messages on social media.

Having started his career as a model and later switched to television, Shukla rose to fame with the Colors show Balika Badhu in which he was paired as the lead opposite the late actor Pratyusha Banerjee.

Shukla has also featured in supporting roles in films including Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya and Business in Kazakhstan.

He is also a winner of Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 and was a contestant in Jhalak Dikhla Ja. He was recently seen as a ‘senior’ in Big Boss 14.

He played the lead in the recently-released web series Broken But Beautiful 3.

Immensely popular in the film and television industry, Shukla was recently seen promoting his upcoming Amazon Prime series Mumbai Diaries 26/11 that chronicles the contribution of frontline workers during the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008.

He had paid tribute to healthcare workers in his last Instagram post.

“To all the frontline warriors, a thank you from the heart! You risk your lives, work for countless hours, and comfort patients who couldn’t be with their families. You truly are the bravest! Being on the frontline surely isn’t easy, but we really appreciate your efforts,” he wrote.