Actor Salim Ghouse passed away due to cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Thursday. He was 70. Tributes and condolences have been pouring in from celebrities and fans for the veteran actor, who has appeared in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and English films, while also working in television shows. The news of Salim's death was confirmed by his wife Anita Salim to Indian Express, who revealed that he was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night after he complained of chest pains, but died the next morning. She stated, "We took him to Kokilaben Hospital last night, and he passed away this morning. He hated grieving and wanted life to go on. He didn’t suffer, he wouldn’t have liked being dependent on anyone. He was a man with a lot of self-respect. He was a multifaceted actor, a martial artist, an actor, a director, and a lovely chef in the kitchen." 

Salim's demise has left many around the country in a state of sorrow, with celebrities paying their respects on social media. Sharing a monochrome photo of the veteran actor, Vivaan Shah wrote on Twitter, "RIP Salim Ghouse sir. Deeply devastated to hear of his passing. A great great artist and a wonderful human being. A towering actor of Shakespearean proportions. My heart goes out to Anita Ma’m and Aaryama. Strength and prayers to the whole family." Actor Sharib Hashmi too extended his condolences, writing, "Pehli baar #SalimGhouse Sahab ko tv serial #Subah mein dekha tha! Aur unka kaam behadd laajavaab laga tha !! Unki awaaz (I saw Salim Ghouse sir for the first time in the TV serial Subah, and found his work really amazing!! His voice)."

Salim is best known among Tamil cinema fans after making his debut in the blockbuster Kamal Haasan and Prabhu-starrer Vettri Vizha, which he followed up with Vijayakanth's Chinna Gounder. He was then cast as the villain in Mani Ratnam's Thiruda Thiruda, Ajith Kumar's Red, Jayam Ravi's Daas, and 'Thalapathy' Vijay's Vettaikaaran. Salim's last role was in the Hindi film, Well Done Abba, in 2010, and was set to make a comeback this year in Andrea Jeremiah's Tamil thriller Kaa - The Forest, in which he will be seen as a wildlife warden.