Arun Bali, the veteran actor of Laal Singh Chaddha and Goodbye fame, dies at 79

Arun Bali, the veteran actor who wowed everyone with his performances in numerous Bollywood films, has passed away. He died in Mumbai at the age of 79, the same day Goodbye was released, in which he played a pivotal role. As per reports in India Today, Bali was struggling for a while as he was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an uncommon neuromuscular condition. Earlier this year, the actor was also checked into Mumbai's Hiranandani Hospital.

For the uninitiated, myasthenia gravis is a type of autoimmune disorder that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In people with myasthenia gravis, the body produces antibodies that block the muscle cells from receiving messages (neurotransmitters) from the nerve cells.

The veteran actor, Arun Bali, is known for his roles in 3 Idiots, Kedarnath, Panipat, Hey Ram, Dand Nayak, Ready, Zameen, Policewala Gunda, Phool Aur Angaar, and Ram Jaane, among many other films. In the latest film, Goodbye, he played the onscreen father to Neena Gupta and father-in-law to Amitabh Bachchan's character.

Bali starred in a lot of movies and TV shows. He portrayed King Porus in the 1991 historical drama Chanakya; Kunwar Singh in the Doordarshan soap opera Swabhimaan; and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the Chief Minister of undivided Bengal, in the contentious and critically praised 2000 movie Hey Ram. He gained notoriety in the 2000s for playing "grandfatherly" parts, such as Harshvardhan Wadhwa in Kumkum, and even won accolades for them. He is also a producer who has won a National Award.

As per reports, Akshay Kumar's debut vehicle, Saugandh (1991), is also the first movie Bali starred in. He was also seen in Laal Singh Chaddha alongside Kamini Kaushal as a fellow traveller with Aamir Khan's character on the train. There are several supporting roles played by Bali which are unforgettable as the late actor made sure to mark his presence in the most important way.

Reports on his last rites are underway and yet to be disclosed.

May his soul rest in peace.