New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit paid tribute to veteran actor Bharat Kapoor, who passed away in Mumbai at the age of 80 years. He described him as a 'talented actor' who had an exceptional ability to memorise long scripts.

The actor breathed his last in Mumbai, bringing an end to a career that made him a familiar face for generations of viewers.

Actor Avtar Gill, who shared a close bond with Bharat Kapoor, confirmed the news of Bharat Kapoor's passing to ANI. 'He was sick for the last two to three days. He was at home. He died at home at around 3 pm in the afternoon. And I got a call from his son at around 4-4.30 pm. He had stopped working for a long time,' Gill said.

In an interview with ANI, Ashoke Pandit called the actor a 'fine actor and human being'. He described the demise of the actor as a 'loss to the industry.'

Ashoke Pandit, 'He was a fine actor and a great human being. As an actor, he also remembered his lines so well. His performance was also good. I have spent a lot of time with Bharat ji and in all three things, film, theatre and television. I have worked with him in all three formats. So it's a loss to the industry, and he was really not well for quite some time.'

While sharing his work experience with Bharat Kapoor, Ashoke Pandit called Bharat Kapoor a 'huge surprise' in front of the camera, as the late actor was a quiet person by nature but was well-known for his villainous roles in the movies.

'He was basically a very big surprise on camera. He used to stay quiet, and whenever he was in front of the camera, he used to remember his lines. He used to remember big pages, 8-10 pages. Then, after seeing him, because he was such a sober person, it didn't seem that he would play a negative role. And he looked like a villain or that kind of thing. He had a very soft face, but when he used to come on stage or cinema or television, he used to really be magic, actually, as far as performance is concerned,' said Ashoke Pandit.

The actor's last rites were held later in the evening in the presence of family members and close friends. Bharat Kapoor began his acting journey in 1972 and built a career that lasted nearly four decades. He became known for his strong supporting parts and villain roles, earning respect in the industry for his steady performances.

He was seen in many popular Hindi films over the years, including 'Noorie' (1979), 'Ram Balram' (1980), 'Love Story' (1981), 'Bazaar' (1982), 'Ghulami' (1985), 'Aakhree Raasta' (1986), 'Satyamev Jayate' (1987), 'Swarg' (1990), 'Khuda Gawah' (1992), and 'Rang' (1993).

Later, he continued to work in films such as 'Barsaat' (1995), 'Saajan Chale Sasural' (1996), and 'Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities' (2004), showing his ability to stay relevant across changing times in cinema.

Apart from films, Bharat Kapoor also worked successfully on television. He appeared in shows like 'Campus,' 'Parampara,' 'Rahat,' 'Saans,' 'Amanat,' 'Tara,' 'Chunauti,' and 'Kahani Chandrakanta Ki.' (ANI)