Panjak Dheer Death: Millions of his fans and the whole film industry are in shock over the unexpected death of renowned actor Pankaj Dheer . On October 15, 2025, the actor, who was allegedly fighting illness, died in Mumbai.
As the industry recalls his outstanding contributions to cinema, from Mahabharat’s Karna to innumerable iconic film parts, few are aware of the emotional and financial pain his family faced as a result of a promise his father made to actress Geeta Bali on her deathbed.
What promise did Pankaj Dheer’s father make to Geeta Bali?
C.L. Dheer, Pankaj Dheer’s father, was a well-known director of his time. Pankaj told Lehren Retro a devastating story in one of his previous interviews that profoundly altered their life. He disclosed that his father’s refusal to violate the promise he had made to Geeta Bali caused his family to lose everything following her untimely death in 1965.
Dharmendra and Geeta Bali were playing the main roles in the movie Raano, which C.L. Dheer was co-producing at the time. Both had invested equally in the project, and the film was nearly finished except for Geeta Bali’s last sequences.
“Almost 6-7 days of work was left, so Geeta Bali suggested that he could finish everything else, and finish the rest of her scenes at the end,” Pankaj recalled. “The entire film was done and ready, just three days of Geeta Bali’s scenes were left. You can call it bad luck… Geeta Bali got infected with smallpox in Punjab.”
Geeta Bali asked C.L. Dheer not to…
Unfortunately, the actress never fully recovered. She begged C.L. Dheer on her deathbed to swear that Raano would never be completed or released after her death. Even when prominent figures in the industry, such as Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari, attempted to persuade him differently, he remained true to his word and fulfilled that commitment.
“Dilipsaab suggested that he would come on screen and plead with the audience, asking them to accept Meena Kumari in Geeta Bali’s role after the tragedy,” Pankaj said. “But my father was insistent that this film is gone with Geeta. So all the money that was invested it was gone. My father went into a shell after that. After this, our family went through a tough time.”
Pankaj started early because…
Pankaj, who was still in his teens, chose to begin working early to help his family because of the financial loss. The loss strengthened Pankaj’s fortitude and dedication to his art. He went on to forge his own career in entertainment throughout the years, eventually rising to prominence as one of the most renowned performers in both film and television.