Actor Sitaram Panchal who was 54 years old, passed away today. He was suffering from kidney and lung cancer for three long years. The actor was best known for his performances in films like Paan Singh Tomar and Jolly LLB 2 among others. He made his Bollywood debut in 1994 with Bandit Queen and was a part of iconic films like The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Slumdog Millionaire.

The actor was bed ridden for 10 months and suffered a lot due to the illness. Earlier this morning Panchal complained of breathlessness and was rushed to the hospital. He passed away there at around 7.45 am. The actor’s last rites will take place this evening. For the longest time of his illness, he was pained and faced financial crises. He posted a Face Book post asking for help. He wrote: “Bhaio meri help karo meri cancer se halat kharab hoti ja rahi hai apka kalakar bhai sitaram panchal.”

As published in Koimoi , Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) also aided the actor and even posted an appeal on Face Book. The post read: “It pains us to hear the suffering of our esteemed member Shri Sitaram Panchal. We assure him of all the help we can provide to him in his hour of need and also urge all of you to open your hearts.”