Mumbai (PTI): Veteran actor Rio Kapadia, best known for films such as "Dil Chahta Hai", "Chak De! India", and "Happy New Year", passed away after a battle with cancer this afternoon, his friend Faisal Malik said. He was 66.

"He passed away in the afternoon at around 12:30 pm. He was suffering from cancer," Malik told PTI.

Kapadia largely played supporting roles in films and TV shows such as "Khuda Haafiz", "The Big Bull", "Agent Vinod", "Kutumb" and "Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke", among others. He was most recently seen in season two of "Made in Heaven", in which he played the father of Mrunal Thakur's character in the second episode.

The last rites of the actor will be held tomorrow at a crematorium in Goregaon, suburban Mumbai.

Kapadia is survived by his wife and two children.

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Balrampur/Chhattisgarh (PTI): Enthusiastic voters reached polling booths trekking steep hilly paths, crossing a river and even on a horse to cast their votes in remote areas of the tribal-dominated Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.

Balrampur district falls under the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency which was among seven seats where polling was held in third and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state. The Surguja Lok Sabha recorded 74.59 per cent voting, as per the Turnout application.

Voters, belonging to Pahadi Korva, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, including Rajesh, Madan, Sukhu, Gopal and Nandlal, crossed a river to exercise their franchise at a polling booth in village panchayat Amera under the Samri assembly constituency, a government official said.

Similarly, electors, including Lakhan Nagesia, Sahu, Phulsai and Kalesh of Bachwar village under the Ramanujganj assembly constituency walked through hilly terrain for about two hours covering 8 kms to reach a polling booth and cast their vote, he said. A voter, Parimal Dey, reached a polling booth in Sagarpur village under the Ramanujganj assembly seat on a horse, the official said. Dey is a cattle rearer who owns 150 goats.

Two hyper sensitive polling booths -- Chunchuna and Pundag -- located in a Naxal-affected area of the district which shares border with Jharkhand, also recorded significant turnout, he said. The two booths are located in the Samri assembly constituency.

"Special security arrangements were put in place in this area to ensure peaceful voting. Voters of Chunchuna and Pudang ensured their participation in the great festival of democracy braving Naxalite threat," he said. The Chunchuna polling booth has 767 voters and it recorded 84.35 per cent turnout, while Pundag has 595 electors and it registered a turnout of 72.44 per cent till 5 pm, the official added.