Tue Jul 15 10:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Veteran Actor and Producer Dheeraj Kumar Passes Away at 79**
**Mumbai, India** – Dheeraj Kumar, a well-known figure in Indian cinema and television, passed away today at the age of 79. He was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital on Monday after experiencing breathing difficulties and was subsequently placed on ventilator support. Kumar had been battling pneumonia.
Kumar was a familiar face in Bollywood, having starred in numerous films including “Heera Panna,” “Roti Kapda Aur Makaan,” and “Baharon Phool Barsao” from the 1970s to the mid 1980s. He began his career as a model and competed with Rajesh Khanna and Subhash Ghai in the Filmfare Talent Hunt competition, in which Rajesh Khanna won first place and Subhash Ghai won second.
Later in his career, Kumar transitioned to television production, founding the production house Creative Eye. Under this banner, he produced and directed a number of successful TV shows, including “Om Namah Shivay,” “Shri Ganesh,” “Milee,” “Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyaan,” and “Ishq Subhan Allah.”
His family had released a statement earlier this week, requesting prayers for his recovery and privacy during this difficult time.
The funeral will be held tomorrow, July 16th, at 11:00 AM at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle. His body will be brought to his residence in Andheri West from the hospital at 6:00 AM, where final respects can be paid until 10:00 AM.
Dheeraj Kumar’s contributions to both the film and television industries will be remembered.
First Piper 