Sidharth Shukla, Bigg Boss 13 winner and Balika Vadhu actor, dies at 40

Popular television and film actor Sidharth Shukla, best known for his role in the long running TV show Balika Vadhu, died on Thursday,  an official at the Cooper Hospital here said. He was 40. He is survived by his mother and two sisters. “He was brought dead to the hospital some time ago,” a senior Cooper Hospital official told Press Trust of India. While initial reports state he suffered a “massive heart attack” in the morning, a senior doctor from the forensic department of the hospital told Hindustan Times, “Won’t be able to confirm the cause of his death until we complete the post mortem.” Shukla began 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 and 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 he won. In 2014, Bigg Boss Sidharth Shukla made his Bollywood debut with the Karan Johar-produced Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, where he had a supporting role. With inputs from Press Trust of India.