Popular actor-athlete Praveen Kumar Sobti, best known among Tamil cinema fans for playing the role of Bheem in 'Ulaganayagan' Kamal Haasan's 90s' classic film Michael Madana Kama Rajan, died in New Delhi on Monday evening, news agency PTI has reported. He was 74. Speaking to PTI, a family member said, "He had a chronic chest infection problem. At night, when he started feeling uneasy, we called the doctor at home. He passed away between 10-10.30 pm following a cardiac arrest." Prior to attaining fame in cinema, Sobti joined the Border Security Force (BSF) at the age of 20 and won medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. 

Condolences have been pouring in for Sobti, with the official BSF Twitter handle paying their tribute. The tweet reads, "Director General & All Ranks of BSF condole the untimely demise of Sh Praveen Kumar Sobti, former Deputy Commandant, Arjuna Awardee, two-time Olympian (1968 Mexico Games and 1972 Munich Games) & four-time Asian Games medallist (2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze). #JaiHind #RIP". During his time in the BSF, he represented India in the hammer and discus throw competitions and won gold medals at the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games in the discus event. Likewise, Sobti won the silver medals at the 1966 Commonwealth Games and the 1974 Asian Games, while also competing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

Praveen Kumar Sobti's first major appearance on the big screen was in Raksha in 1981 in which he played the role of a James Bond-esque henchman. He became a household name across the country after being cast as Bheem in the iconic TV show Mahabharat, which ran from 1988 to 1990, while also portraying Saboo in the television adaptation of the popular Indian comic book character Chacha Chaudhary. Tamil cinema fans know Sobti for playing the role of Kamal Haasan's bodyguard in the blockbuster Michael Madana Kama Rajan, with his antics fetching him his own fan following. He also ventured into politics and joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013 contesting in the Delhi Assembly election before joining the BJP the next year. Sobti is survived by his wife and daughter.