MUMBAI, April 27 - Veteran actor and Member of Parliament Vinod Khanna � the dashing Bollywood star best known for his roles in films such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Qurbaani and Insaaf � died of cancer at a hospital here this morning.
He was 70.
�He passed away at 11.20 am. It�s a sad moment for us... We request you all (media) for privacy,� the actor�s brother Pramod Khanna told PTI.
Khanna was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on March 31 with complications arising out of severe dehydration.
An official statement from the hospital said Khanna was suffering from bladder cancer.
A leaked photo from the hospital earlier this month first raised concerns about Khanna�s health, but his family declined to comment at that time.
The actor is survived by his wife, Kavita Khanna, and four children � Rahul, Akshaye, Sakshi and Shraddha.
Rahul and Akshaye, both actors, were from his first wife, Geetanjali.
Khanna was cremated in Mumbai this evening in the presence of family and friends from the industry including Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek, Akshay Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Gulzar and Danny Denzongpa.
Feted as one of the most handsome actors of the Hindi film industry, Khanna made his acting debut in 1968 with Man Ka Meet. In many of the earlier films, Khanna played a negative or a supporting role.
His potential was first noticed in Gulzar�s Mere Apne in 1971.
A much sought after actor in the 1970s and 1980s, he acted in several blockbusters, including Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Reshma Aur Shera, Elan, Insaaf, Qurbani and Dayavan.
Khanna�s memorable films as a solo lead were in Gulzar�s Achanak, which was inspired by the KM Nanavati case, Imtihaan and Lekin, a reincarnation drama, also directed by Gulzar.
He and Bachchan were a popular pair, and acted in several films such as Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Hera Pheri and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.
At the height of his popularity, Khanna surprised his fans when he took a break from acting for five years from 1982 by joining Osho Rajneesh in Oregan in the US.
He returned to cinema in the late eighties, and courted success again with films such as Insaaf, Satyameva Jayate and Dayavan.
He was seen in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dilwale in 2015. He was last seen on-screen in Hema Malini-starrer Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi, which released on April 21.
Khanna was also an active politician, and a Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Punjab. The sitting BJP MP had won the seat four times. � PTI
