Hale and hearty Narendra Jha's sudden demise shocks industry

Narendra Jha

Actor Narendra Jha, best known for films like Haider (2014), Raees (2017) and Kaabil (2017), passed away yesterday due to a heart attack. He was 55. Jha was at his farmhouse in Nanegaon, Maharashtra, when he complained of chest pain, the actor's driver, Lakshman Singh, said. "He had no health issues and last night (Tuesday), he was fine. He ate properly and spoke to us. Around 4 am today, he felt a chest pain so we took him to a nearby hospital, but everything was over by then," he said.

Born and brought up in Delhi, Jha also worked in Shyam Benegal's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004). He also featured in a play, Samvidhaan, in which he played Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The actor was also signed for the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer, Race 3. He is survived by wife Pankaja Thakur, former CEO of the CBFC.

Narendra Jha in Haider

His sudden demise left the film industry in shock as his friends and colleagues said he was hale and hearty, and was geared up to feature in several new projects. Director Awani Agrawal said he was fine while shooting for his film, De Ijaazat Rahun Tujhme, in Gujarat earlier this month. "He was shooting for my movie in Vadodara. He was accompanied by his wife to the location. They left on March 8. He didn't have any health issue. He was a co-operative and supportive actor, and beautiful person."

View gallery - Narendra Jha: The versatile actor who impressed in films and the small screen

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