Mumbai(PTI): Shahnawaz Pradhan, best known for featuring in series "Mirzapur" and movie "Raees", has died following a heart attack, actor Yashpal Sharma said. He was in his late 50s.

Pradhan complained of severe chest pain, fell unconscious and suffered a heart attack during an award function here on Friday evening. He was immediately rushed to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital but the doctors couldn't revive him.

Sharma, who was also present at the event, shared a note on Instagram detailing the incident.

"Today I attended this program in Mumbai... Everything was going great... Hundreds of artists were present but shortly after receiving the award our beloved artist Shahnawaz had an attack...

"The whole program stopped with the help of the people and the doctor picked him up and took him to Kokilaben Hospital which was the closest but no one could save him and he passed away... May his soul rest in peace and courage to the family," Sharma wrote.

Pradhan has played character roles in films "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Khuda Haafiz", "Raees" and "Phantom"; web series "The Family Man" and "Hostages", and TV show "Krishna" and "24" among others.

Rajesh Tailang, who worked with Pradhan in Prime Video series "Mirzapur", paid tribute to the actor in a Twitter post.

"Shahnawaz bhai aakhiri salaam!!! You were an amazing person and a great actor. Had a great time working with you in Mirzapur' #purushram #mirzapur," Tailang wrote.

Many actors commented on Tailang's post including Anup Soni, Rohitash Gour, and extended their condolences.

Cine And TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) body expressed condolences on the demise of Pradhan on their official Twitter handle and wrote that the last rites will be held on Saturday in Mazgaon at 12.30 pm.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.

Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.

He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.

Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.

He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.

Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.

He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.