Veteran Marathi theater and film actor Vijay Kadam died in Mumbai on Saturday, as confirmed by family sources. He was 68 years old. The actor was battling cancer for the last one and a half years. 

Vijay Kadam started his career as a child actor in theater and earned fame in comedy roles in the 1980s. Kadam, who considered yesteryear actors Sharad Talwalkar and Raja Gosavi as his idols, went on to do diverse roles on stage as well as in television serials and films in the next two decades.

As per ANI, the news of his demise was confirmed by his actor-friend Jaywant Wadkar. “He had been courageously fighting cancer. Initially, he recovered but his health eventually deteriorated. Around 25 days ago, he even got an acidity attack.”

He went on to add, "He was extremely talented. From Marathi cinema to Hindi films, he explored different kinds of projects in his decades-long career. It's impossible to find an actor like him again. His death has left a void in the industry. He's like my family."

Noted roles

Some of his most noted roles in his career include Rathchakra, Vichcha Majhi Puri Kara, Tur Tur, Sahi Re Sahi. He also featured in Marathi films including Irsal Karti, Vasudev Balwant Phadke and Halad Rusli Kunku Hasla. He was also seen in a few Bollywood films such as Ghar Ek Mandir and Aflatoon.

Vijay Kadam's cremation will be held at the Andheri-Oshiwara crematorium on Saturday afternoon. He is survived by his wife and son.

More details

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in a message on X, offered a tribute to Kadam for his natural style of acting, comic timing and the ability for extempore repartee while performing on stage. "Marathi theater has suffered a great loss due to the death of this versatile actor who enriched Maharashtra's entertainment world," Shinde said.

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