Popular television and film actor Sidharth Shukla, best known for his role in the long-running TV show Balika Vadhu, passed away on Thursday, an official at the Cooper Hospital in Mumbai confirmed. He was 40. Shukla suffered a massive heart attack in the morning. He is survived by his mother and two sisters. “He was brought dead to the hospital some time ago," the senior Cooper Hospital official told the news agency PTI.

Sidharth Shukla started his career in showbiz as a model and made his acting debut with a lead role in the television show “Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na". He later appeared on shows such as “Jaane Pehchaane Se… Ye Ajnabbi", “Love U Zindagi" but became a household name with “Balika Vadhu".

He also participated in reality shows, including “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6", “Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7" and “Bigg Boss 13," which earned him a massive fan following across the country. His chemistry with co-contestant Shehnaaz Gill received much appreciation and love by Bigg Boss viewers. In fact, his last on-screen appearance was also with Shehnaaz Gill. A few days back, the duo had made an appearance on Dance Deewane 3 and Bigg Boss OTT together.