Exclusive - Mukul Dev passes away: Vindu Dara Singh says; 'He was like a brother, I still can’t believe he's gone'

Popular actor Mukul Dev, who has been part of some of the iconic shows of television like Pyar Zindagi Hai, Gharwali Uparwali, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ghar Ki, amongst others, passed away the previous night (May 23).The actor was reportedly in the hospital for the last 8 to 10 days and he took his last breath last night.Actor Vindu Dara Singh, who shared screen space with Mukul Dev in Son of Sardaar, expressed deep sorrow over the actor’s sudden passing. While talking to Times of India TV, Vindu shared, "It's such sad news. He was one of the nicest guys and I still can't believe he's gone. It is heartbreaking. I heard the news from Ashwini, who is working with us in Son Of Sardar 2, she was the first to inform me and I couldn't believe it. Later, my son Fateh, he also messaged me and I was shocked.Mukul was such a nice fellow and fastactic co-star to work with."He further shared, "He was admitted to the hospital for the past 8-10 days in Delhi, where his health deteriorated and he passed away last night. He was extremely close to his family, especially his parents and he had been keeping to himself after his parents' deaths. We used to call him Muks. He was like my brother."Vindu and Mukul worked in Son Of Sardar 1 and he was also a part of the second installment of the film, the Bigg Boss winner says, "He has done such fantastic work in SOS 2. He was my Tony and I was his Tito. He had an amazing role and people are going to roll on the floor laughing after seeing his work in July when the film releases. But unfortunately, he will not be around to enjoy the success and see the love.When asked if he was battling any disease, Vindu shared, "I don't think he was suffering from any disease but he used to drink a lot and would have gutkha. He had become overweight and he battled loneliness. He has a daughter but she is also, she was not staying with him. He was making his comeback with Son of Sardar but the sad part is he won't be there to see it. It is very tragic news."Mukul Dev, who was last seen in the Hindi film Anth The End, was the brother of actor Rahul Dev. Born in New Delhi, Mukul came from a Punjabi family with ancestral roots in a village near Jalandhar. His father, Hari Dev, served as an assistant commissioner of police and played a significant role in familiarizing him with Afghan culture, being fluent in both Pashto and Persian.Mukul's first taste of the entertainment world came in class 8, when he earned his first paycheck by performing as Michael Jackson in a dance program organized by Doordarshan.Aside from acting, he was also a trained pilot, having completed his aviation training at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi.He began his acting career on television in 1996, portraying Vijay Pandey in the serial Mumkin. He also appeared in Doordarshan’s popular comedy Bollywood countdown show Ek Se BadhKar Ek.Mukul later hosted the first season of Fear Factor India and made his film debut with Dastak, where he played ACP Rohit Malhotra. The film was notable for also launching former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen in her acting career.Talking to news agency IANS, Mukul's close friend Deepshikha Nagpal reacted to the actor's sudden demise. She said, "I have no words. The whole world knows about it. It's so shocking. I still can't believe it. I still feel it must be fake news. And sometimes it's fake news. I woke up with this. And I called on his phone only. Thinking he'll pick up."Many celebrities, including Arjun Bijlani, Kashmera Shah, Kishwer Merchant, and Deepshikha Nagpal, paid heartfelt tributes to Mukul Dev following the news of his passing. Taking to Instagram, they expressed their sorrow and shared memories. Kishwer, in particular, reflected on the moments she spent working with Mukul on set and mentioned how he always lit up when speaking about his daughter, calling it one of his favorite topics.See more: Mukul Dev Passes Away Live Update: Industry left in shock by the sudden demise of the former model actor