"You will never be forgotten."
On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, it was announced that the veteran actor Vijay Crishna had died. He was 81 years old.
Along with cinema, Vijay was renowned for his work in theatre. He was noted for his role in the English film Dance Like A Man (2004), which was later produced into a play.
One of his famous films in Bollywood was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002), where he played Narayan Mukherjee, the father of the titular character, played by Shah Rukh Khan.
He also worked on hits, including Gandhi (1982), Phantom (2015), and PK (2014).
He reunited with Sanjay in Guzaarish (2010), where he played Judge Rajhansmoni.
In the film, the judge presides over Ethan Mascarenhas’ (Hrithik Roshan) appeal for euthanasia.
The actress Lillete Dubey confirmed Vijay Crishna’s death on Instagram.
She wrote: “Heartbroken. Our dearest Vijay Crishna, a cherished part of our theatre family and of Dance Like a Man for over 25 years, has passed away.
“A man of many parts — a brilliant actor; handsome, charming, and bright, with his trademark dry, tongue-in-cheek humour — he was deeply loved and treasured by us all.
“So many memories flood the heart and mind, overwhelming me.
“RIP, my Jairaj. You will never be forgotten.
“May you entertain the angels as you entertained us all here.
“Love and prayers to his lovely wife, Smita, his girls Nyrika and Freyan, and the entire family.”
Anupam Kher said: “That is so, so sad. Om Shanti.”
Saif Ali Khan’s sister, Saba Ali Khan Pataudi, added: “That’s very sad news.
“My sincere condolences to his family and all those who worked with or knew him.
“May he rest in peace.”
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In 2018, Vijay raised awareness of the Chinese naval commander, Zheng He, via a lecture in Mumbai.
Explaining what drew him to this subject matter, Vijay Crishna said:
“I get interested in strange things. I read a lot, and along the way, I read about this.”
“About ten years ago, the 600th anniversary of Zheng He’s voyage was being celebrated in the region, and I happened to be visiting Singapore.
“I brought back some writings on it, and it was fascinating.
“Then I found some more books on the subject and was drawn in.”
Vijay Crishna’s final film appearance was in the aforementioned PK, which starred Aamir Khan and was directed by Rajkumar Hirani.
In the blockbuster, he played an entrepreneur.
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