Veteran actor Achyut Potdar passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025, at the age of 90. According to PTI, the actor was admitted to Jupiter Hospital around 4 pm. The exact cause of his death has not yet been reported. His final rites will be performed on August 19 in Thane.
A Beloved Face in Cinema and Memes
While Potdar had a prolific career in films and television, he found renewed popularity among younger audiences for his role as the strict professor in Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots. His dialogue, “Kehna kya chahte ho?” went on to become a pop culture phenomenon and is still widely used in memes and social media conversations today.
Over the decades, Potdar appeared in more than 125 films across Hindi and Marathi cinema. His credits include acclaimed films like Vaastav, Parineeta, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Dabangg 2, and Ventilator, among many others.
Tributes Pour In
News of his passing prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes on social media. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta remembered him fondly, writing on X (formerly Twitter):
“I was a fan of his character as Jaggu Dada’s father. The line ‘Ae Jaggu’ from Angaar made me his permanent fan. It was a privilege to have directed him in my directorial debut, Jayate. He played a professional medical witness. Amazing timing and a super caustic sense of humor. Go well, Achyut Potdar, sir.”
He also shared a still from Potdar’s memorable appearance in 3 Idiots.