In saddening news veteran actor Pankaj Dheer known for his role as Karna passed away at the age of 68 after battling cancer. His death sent shockwaves through the TV industry with several renowned figures paying their last respects to the actor at his funeral. Pankaj Dheer became a household name in the entertainment industry when he featured as Karna in B.R. Chopras Mahabharata. While the actor made a name for himself in the industry with his role not many people knew that he endured some serious accidents during the shoot of the show. When Pankaj Dheer Almost Lost His Eyesight In one of his interviews Dheer revealed that he almost lost his eyesight during a battle sequence in Mahabharata. The scene was shot between Pankaj and Feroz Khan who played Arjun. What was meant to be a routine stunt turned into a nightmare when due to a technical glitch an arrow struck the corner of his eye. Recalling the incident Dheer said “The arrow was supposed to touch my bow and break but it rammed into my eye instead. When they removed it blood gushed out like a fountain. People around me said ‘Pankaj Dheer andha ho gaya hai’ and I was terrified—my career had just begun.” In another terrifying episode of the show Dheer was on a chariot when it broke apart leaving him gravely injured. As the chariot broke the horses bolted toward a steep slope. Upon realizing the danger Dheer decided to jump off the chariot which left his knees injured. “If I hadn’t jumped I would have fallen into the gorge” he recalled. Despite facing such hard days on set Pankaj Dheer’s determination and passion for his work kept him going. With his powerful performance he became a household name and was loved for his role as Karna. Meanwhile coming back to Pankaj Dheer’s death it came as a shocker to everyone in the industry. From Salman Khan to Sidharth Malhotra many famous faces from the industry paid their last respects to the actor at his funeral.