Guwahati, June 19: Veteran actor Lakhi Borthakur, 58, passed away at Down Town Hospital in Guwahati at 11.45am today.

Borthakur had suffered a cerebral stroke and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital on Monday. He is survived by his wife Bina Das Borthakur, a Goalparia folk song artiste, and their son Debarun.

Borthakur is best known for his comic role as Nomal in the play Lotkon, which was based on a tale of Lakshminath Bezbaroa's Burhi Aair Xadhu.

Born to Bhulanath and Puneswari Borthakur at Madhab village in the Jamugurihat area of Sonitpur district in 1957, Borthakur passed his Class XII exams from Jamuguri Higher Secondary School and graduated from Darrang College.

He joined the cultural affairs department of the Assam government as an artiste in 1979. He joined the songs and drama division of the ministry of information and broadcasting in 1981 as an artiste and was later promoted to an instructor. He was to retire in 2017.

Borthakur had been associated with drama from his college days. He acted in 28 films, 78 serials, 20 telefilms and lent his voice to 30 radio plays. He wrote 10 one-act plays and one full-length play. He translated two books into Assamese, Gandhari and Vedavyas, and was writing another, Bijoy Tendulkaror Proxongo.

Rajen Rajkhowa-directed Ghorot Kon Ase was Borthakur's first serial. He also acted in Molok Guin Guin and Kalitar Xahuai. The Bhabendra Nath Saikia-directed Sarathi was his first film. Thereafter, he acted in films like Juye Pora Xon, Jatinga Ityadi, Holodhor, I Love You, Joubone Amoni Kore, Maghot Mamonir Biya and Ojeyo. Two other films in which he acted, Eti Koli Duti Paat and Xanskar, are yet to be released.

Borthakur's body was taken home and then to his office at Hatigaon. From there the body was taken to Rabindra Bhawan where cultural affairs minister Bismita Gogoi paid tribute to the actor. The body was taken to Navagraha crematorium.

Borthakur was also known for his command over Sanskrit. "Whenever we faced problems in Sanskrit we approached Borthakur," said actress Chetana Das.

"We were very close. Recently he told me that we should do a play for the radio. Everything was ready. But now he has left us all," said Upakul Bordoloi, an actor.

The members of Evdeva Enclave, the apartment on Rajgarh Road where Borthakur lived, said he was like a guardian to them.