Actor and theatre personality Shrivallabh Vyas passed away on Sunday, 7 January, after suffering from a prolonged illness, as India Today reported. The actor was 60 years old.
Vyas was best known for his role in Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Lagaan’ and had appeared in over 60 Hindi films with occasional stints in regional cinema, television shows and theatre. He was an alumnus of the National School of Drama in Delhi.
Vyas had to take a break from acting in 2008, after he collapsed in his hotel room in Gujarat, reported The Indian Express. Some of Vyas’s best known films are ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Abhay’, ‘Aan: Men at Work’, ‘Shool’, ‘Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero’ and ‘Sankat City’.
The actor is survived by his wife and two daughter who were struggling to pay for his treatment due to financial constraints.
Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Irrfan Khan were helping the family take care of the expenses of medical bills, said India Today.
Daya Shankar Pandey, a film and television actor and a friend of the family, confirmed the news of Vyas’s death to The Indian Express.
Vyas was a great actor and we will miss him immensely. He died on Sunday morning around 9:30 am and his last rites will take place in the evening. He has two daughters and his wife struggled a lot while taking care of Vyas... He was a very well-read man and an immensely talented actor, but he didn’t get his dues. But his work has always spoken for him. He was also into singing and had started writing too, but life was cruel to him.Daya Shankar Pandey to The Indian Express
In 2013, Vyas’s wife Shobha had said that barely anyone from the film fraternity has helped the family during its tough times which began after Vyas collapsed at a film set, reported Times of India.
Barring few, most ignored us. Even producers who worked with Vyas refused to bear his medical expenses... Aamir Khan has been supporting us. It’s because of him we can afford a three BHK flat, medical expenses, fees for my daughters and other expenses.Shobha Vyas
Shobha said that Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpai helped the family, yet no one from the government had reached out to help them.
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