Mumbai: Veteran actor Arun Bali, whose stature as an artiste matched his towering 6.4ft height, died at his Jogeshwari residence on Friday.

He was 79. His son Ankush said his father was suffering from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, for which he was admitted to hospital early this year.

Bali’s latest film, ironically titled Goodbye, released on Friday, hours after he passed away at 4:30am. The benign actor is well remembered for his role in 3 Idiots, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Saugandh, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Khalnayak, Satya, Hey Ram, 3 Idiots, Ready, Barfi, Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Samrat Prithviraj and recently Laal Singh Chaddha.

Bali made his acting debut with filmmaker Lekh Tandon’s TV show Doosra Keval as Shah Rukh Khan’s uncle and went on to work in Chanakya, Swabhimaan, Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand, Kumkum: Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan and POW: Bandi Yuddh Ke.

He is survived by four sons and four daughters. The last rites will be performed at Jogeshwari on Saturday.

Ankush said his father passed away at his residence around 4:30am. “He had mood swings for two-three days. He told the caretaker he wanted to go to the washroom, and after coming out, he told him he wanted to sit down. He never got up,” he said.

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Actor Arun Bali, best known for his work on the TV show Swabhimaan and blockbuster hit 3 Idiots, passed away on Friday morning at his residence in Mumbai. He was 79. The veteran actor’s son Ankush said his father was suffering from Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease caused by communication failure between nerves and muscles, for which he was admitted to a hospital early this year.

Ankush said his father was responding well to the treatment but passed away at around 4:30 am. “My father was suffering from Myasthenia gravis. He had mood swings for two-three days. He told the caretaker he wanted to go to the washroom and after coming out he told him he wanted to sit down and he never got up then (sic),” Ankush said.

Bali made his acting debut with noted filmmaker Lekh Tandon’s TV show Doosra Keval as Shah Rukh Khan’s uncle and went on to work in TV shows such as the period drama Chanakya, Swabhimaan, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan and P. O. W. — Bandi Yuddh Ke.

Some of his popular films include Saugandh, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Khalnayak, Satya, Hey Ram, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, Ready, Barfi, Manmarziyaan, Kedarnath, Samrat Prithviraj and Laal Singh Chaddha. Bali is survived by a son and three daughters.

Remembering the actor, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker said, “Arun Bali ji was a giant of an actor. It was a memorable experience of working with him in Panipat, where he portrayed Maharaja Baba Ala Singh, the King of Patiala. I was worried that Arun ji might say no to the role because of the brief screen appearance, but he consented immediately. Even at his age, Arun ji was most punctual and disciplined. He made sure he knew all his lines before he came in front of the camera, and he would get it right in the first take itself. I will cherish the to the family.”

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Being remembered even in a cameo  — that is the impact Arun Bikramjit Bali had with his performances. The senior actor, 79, who often played the doting grandfather on screen, passed away Friday morning. He was hospitalised earlier this year, after being diagnosed for Myasthenia Gravis — a rare muscular disease that causes a communication failure between the nerves and the muscles.

Friends since 1989, director Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi remembers meeting Bali for the first time when he made his directorial debut with the historical TV series, Chanakya, where the senior actor played the role of King Porus. “I was sitting by the window in my office when I saw Bali saab coming up to meet me. I told my assistant, ‘Here comes my Porus’. He had a majestic persona.”

After beginning his innings in acting with director Lekh Tandon’s Doosra Kewal (1989), Bali went on to do shows, including Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), The Great Maratha (1994), Shaktimaan (1997), Swabhimaan (1995) and POW (Bandi Yudh Ke).

His “jovial nature and hospitality” moved Dwivedi who was new to Delhi then. “His family loved hosting people at their home,” says the director, who often rode pillion while exploring the nooks and corners of the capital. Bali was also part of Dwivedi’s Samrat Prithviraj.

“During the shoot of the film, I could sense that he was slowing down. I was aware that it was not the age, but the illness catching up with him. One of the best aspects about Bali saab was that in one meeting, anyone could become a part of his family. He was my elder brother and I will miss him deeply,” says the filmmaker.

Laal Singh Chaddha director Advait Chandan remembers Bali as a ball of “energy and enthusiasm”, especially during a scene when he has to refuse golgappas offered by Aamir Khan’s character. “He had the energy of a young boy on the set, and would constantly come up with suggestions and improvisations. Arun ji told me, in reality, he would never ignore a sweet person offering golgappas to him on a train.”

For Umesh Shukla, Bali was the balance between depicting right and wrong for his film OMG Oh My God (2012). “We wanted to show that while there are fake godmen, the world also has good-hearted sadhus. Bali ji played that role with a lot of conviction. To play a positive part against negative characters essayed by actors like Mithun Chakraborty and still being remembered for his strong performance is [a huge deal],” reminisced Shukla.

Bali was also seen in movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Satya (1996), 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014), Manmarziyaan (2018), Kedarnath (2018), and Panipat (2019).

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Actor Arun Bali, a popular name in the film and television world, died at the age of 79 on Friday in Mumbai. He was known for his roles in shows such as Swabhimaan, Kumkum — Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan and Chanakya, and he featured in most of filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani’s movies, such as Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014) and the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Dunki. 

He had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune condition marked by a breakdown in nerve-muscle communication, earlier this year. His son, Ankush Bali, said that his dad was benefiting from the medication, but passed away at around 4.30am. “He told the caretaker he wanted to go to the washroom, and after coming out, he told him he wanted to sit down, and he never got up then,” he told PTI. 

For director Chandraprakash Dwivedi and actor Hussain Kuwajerwala, the two things they associate with the late actor Arun Bali, who died at 79, are his jovial nature and big heart. Dwivedi says his association with him was not just limited to the 1991 show, Chanakya. He remembers the time when Bali insisted that he should not stay in a hotel in Delhi but in his own house.

“I was searching for actors then for the show, and would go to the National School of Drama (NSD). I had a brief meeting with him then, and when he got to know that I was staying in a hotel in Janpath, he got his scooter and said, ‘Chalo mere saath, tum mere ghar rahoge’. He lived with his wife, Prakash ji. She was like a mother to me,” he shares. 

Dwivedi continues, “I couldn’t stand the winters, hum ek hi razaai mein baithte the. His house was like a second home for me and for a lot of actors from Mumbai.”

On his scooter, Bali would take the director to meet actors who were in Delhi. “I met Shah Rukh Khan for the first time through him, when he was shooting for his TV show. A young man was walking towards us and Arun ji said, ‘Yeh ladka Shah Rukh Khan hai’,” Dwivedi recalls.

Kuwajerwala worked with him in the popular show Kumkum — Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan. The actor says everyone from the show would call him dada ji off-screen too. “We were in touch with him, but not on a regular basis. We will definitely miss that Apart from all the guidance he has given us through the working years of our life. We will miss him,” he gets emotional.