By L A Adithya
Tamil comedy actor Robo Shankar passed away at the age of 46 in Chennai’s GEM hospital on Thursday, September 16, leaving the entire Tamil industry in disbelief and tears. Having set a path to creating his own niche, the beloved actor has worked with some renowned stars like Dhanush in the Maari duology and Sivakarthikeyan in Mr. Local and Veleikkaran, to name a few, in comedic roles.
Irfan Pathan took to X to express his absolute condolences to the actor’s family and his utter sadness in his passing, notably due to having collaborated with him in Cobra. On Friday, TVK leader Vijay, whom he worked alongside in Bigil, and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Undhayanidhi Stalin also expressed their shock and sent their condolences to the deceased person’s family.
Kamal Hassan, on X, shared a poem in respect to the late actor, which was met with some appreciation.
Shankar was pronounced dead at 8:30 PM on Thursday in GEM Hospital after being admitted and treated in the Intensive Care Unit. The CEO of the hospital stated that despite the desperate and best efforts of the doctors, they weren’t able to pull off a miracle in saving him, resulting in his succumbing to a series of illnesses.
Some reports suggest that he collapsed on the sets of a film after suffering a cardiac arrest, followed by several other complications and multiorgan dysfunction.
The comedy actor had also stepped out of the spotlight a few years back, owing to jaundice, for which he was undergoing treatment. He had also sparked concern among the Tamil cinema fans for his drastic weight loss.
The last rites were set to take place on Friday, September 19, where his actor colleagues, extended family members, and some fans were expected to show up.