Today, October 27, veteran Gujarati actor Naresh Kanodia passed away at the age of 77 in Ahmedabad. The film star and ex-BJP MLA breathed his last due to COVID-19. According to reports, Naresh was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus on October 20 and was admitted to the UN Mehta Heart Hospital in Ahmedabad and put on ventilator support. Known as the Amitabh Bachchan of the Gujarati film industry, Naresh had a huge following and had worked in over 200 films in a career spanning four decades.
Soon after the news broke out, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi offered condolence. The message was in Gujarati and roughly translates to, "I am deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Naresh Kanodia, a veteran actor of Gujarati cinema and a former MLA. His contribution in the field of entertainment and social service will always be remembered. Condolence to the bereaved family and their huge fan base ... Om Shanti !" Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, also tweeted to mourn Naresh's demise.
. . ... !!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2020
. . pic.twitter.com/7lAiDtPYHx
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) October 27, 2020
Unfortunately, Naresh's elder brother Mahesh Kanodia also passed away two days ago at the age of 83. The musician, singer and former parliamentarian breathed his last due to prolonged age-related illness. Mahesh had been a five-time BJP MP in Gujarat. The Kanodia brothers would run the highly successful orchestra, Mahesh-Naresh & Party. Naresh's son, Hitu Kanodia is also a Gujarati film actor and a BJP MLA from Idar, Gujarat constituency.
(Source: Twitter)
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