Veteran actor Achyut Potdar, who played the role of a professor in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2009 movie 3 Idiots, died at the age of 91 in Mumbai on Monday, as per reports.
Potdar breathed his last at Jupiter Hospital in Thane. The cause of his death has not been revealed yet.
The official Instagram handle of Marathi TV channel Star Pravah paid tribute to the actor following the news of his demise. “A heartfelt tribute to senior actor Achyut Potdar… His smile, simplicity and honesty in every role will always be remembered,” reads the post.
Over the course of his career, Potdar made a memorable impact by featuring in a wide range of Hindi and Marathi films as well as TV shows.
Potdar was born on August 22, 1934, in a Marathi Brahmin family in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
After completing university, he served as a professor in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, then joined the Indian Army, retiring as a captain, and subsequently worked nearly 25 years as an executive with Indian Oil.
Potdar pursued acting as a hobby and began his career in the industry at the age of 44, making his Hindi film debut with Aakrosh in 1980.
His famous dialogue, “Kehna kya chahte ho?” (What do you want to say) addressed to Aamir Khan in the movie 3 Idiots, became widely popular and inspired numerous memes.
In addition to films like 3 Idiots, Ardh Satya, Parineeta, Dabangg 2 and Yeh Dillagi, Potdar appeared in popular TV shows such as Wagle Ki Duniya, Majha Hoshil Na, Mrs. Tendulkar, and Bharat Ki Khoj.
In 2015, Potdar was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his career by a cultural group called Sanand from Indore.
Potdar’s last rites are scheduled to take place on August 19 in Mumbai.