Television actor and Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla has died of a heart attack. He was 40.The famous television and film star won a million hearts with Balika Vadhu. He died on Thursday, an official at the Cooper Hospital told PTI. He suffered a massive heart attack in the morning it is learnt.
He is survived by his mother and two sisters.His shocking death news has left fans and fellow celebrity contestants mourning.
Police sources said the body will be kept at the post-mortem centre at night and handed over to his family at 9 am. The preliminary report of the post-mortem is expected to be received tomorrow.
A popular television and film actor who became a household name with his role in the long-running TV show 'Balika Vadhu', Sidharth Shukla died on Thursday. He was 40. He is survived by his mother and two sisters
Though some reports suggested a heart attack, the cause of his sudden death, which sent shockwaves through the industry and TV fandom and ignited fresh debate on the pulls and pressures of showbiz, is not immediately clear.
The Mumbai-born actor's family issued a statement through his public relations team requesting the media to draw a line and "give his family and loved ones pace and let them grieve".
Born on December 12, 1980, Sidharth's father was Ashok Shukla, a civil engineer employed at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and his mother, Rita Shukla, a homemaker. Sidharth made his debut on television in 2008 with 'Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na', and rose to immense fame with his breakthrough role in 'Balika Vadhu'.
He later also went on to act in Karan Johar-produced 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania' alongside Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. However, before his successful stint in TV and films, Sidharth was a popular model and walked the ramp for some of the most renowned designers.
Sidharth Shukla began his career as a model and made his acting debut with a lead role in the TV show 'Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na'. He later appeared on shows such as 'Jaane Pehchaane Se... Ye Ajnabbi', 'Love U Zindagi' but it was 'Balika Vadhu' that made him famous.
Other than 'Bigg Boss 13', Sidharth Shukla participated in other reality shows, including 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6' and 'Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7'.