Sidharth Shukla shared a heartwarming final Instagram post praising frontline “warriors” — just days before he tragically died at the age of 40.
The popular Indian reality TV star, who was part of the long-running show “Balika Vadhu,” reportedly suffered a massive heart attack on Thursday.
Just days before his passing, Shukla paid tribute to “superheroes in white capes, the nursing staff and their countless sacrifices”.
“To all the frontline warriors, a thank you from the heart!,” he posted. “You risk your lives, work for countless hours, and comfort patients who couldn’t be with their families.
He continued, “You truly are the bravest! Being on the frontline surly isn’t easy, but we really appreciate your efforts.”
The touching post received nearly 850,000 likes as of Thursday morning. Shukla, who had 3.8 million followers on Instagram, appeared to be voicing his support for a new show on Amazon Prime called “Mumbai Diaries 26/11.”
The show is a medical thriller set in the emergency room of a hospital, which looks at the challenges faced by nurses and doctors.
A senior doctor at the Cooper Hospital in Mumbai said Shukla was rushed to hospital on Thursday.
“Initial reports indicate that he died of a heart attack,” he told the Hindustan Times.
“We, however, won’t be able to confirm the cause of his death until we complete the post mortem.”
Shukla is survived by his mother and two sisters.
Shukla, who made his acting debut in 2008, made appearances in popular shows such as “Aahat,” “Love U Zindagi” and “CID. ” And in 2014, he made his Bollywood debut, playing a supporting role in Karan Johar-produced “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.”
But Shukla achieved his major breakthrough with the popular serial “Balika Vadhu,” in which he played the main lead.
He later made appearances in reality shows such as “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 6,” “India’s Got Talent,” “Khatron Ke Khiladi 7,” “Bigg Boss 13,” as well as “Bigg Boss 14.”
Tributes pour in
The star’s sudden death has rocked his fans, film colleagues and fellow celebrity contestants.
Indian actor and comedian Sunil Grover said: “Shocked and sad to know about Sidharth Shukla. Gone too soon. Prayers. Rest in peace.”
Actor Manoj Bajpayee said: “Words will fail to describe the shock and sense of loss of his near and dear ones.”
Indian model, actress and singer Himanshi Khurana wrote: “Oh my God. It’s hard to believe. RIP Sidharth Shukla.”
Bollywood actress Koena Mitra added: “Deeply saddened! We met for just 14 days, we fought a lot and parted ways. Never spoke again.
“Your sudden demise has taught me unconditional forgiveness! I forgive everyone & seek forgiveness from whoever I may have disappointed. RIP Sid.”
