Tamil actor and comedian Robo Shankar has died in Chennai. He was 46 years old. Shankar fell ill while working on a film set and was taken to the hospital yesterday. Reports indicate that he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit before he passed away. It is believed that his health got worse earlier that day, ultimately leading to his death. There are claims that he had struggled with jaundice a few months ago. During his healing process, the actor lost weight and appeared quite thin, which caused concern among his fans. He later returned to work and participated in a cooking competition show on Sun TV called Top Cooku Dupe Cooku. News about Shankar collapsing on set came out yesterday.
Robo Shankar was a known actor in both Tamil television and movies. He got the nickname “Robo” because of his unique robot-like acts in village events and TV shows. His film career started in 1997, where he took on several small parts, including one in Rajinikanth’s Padayappa, before transitioning to supporting roles. His breakthrough came with the movie Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara, starring Vijay Sethupathi, which gave him significant fame. Throughout the years, he featured in many popular films like Vaayai Moodi Pesavum, Maari, Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran, Kadavul Irukaan Kumaru, Si3, Pa Paandi, Velaikkaran, Viswasam, Irumbu Thirai, and Singapore Saloon, among others.
Robo Shankar openly admired Kamal Haasan. After his passing, Haasan shared a heartfelt message on X. Kamal Haasan expressed, “Robo Shankar. Robo is just a name. In my opinion, you are a person. You are like a younger brother to me. How could you just leave? Your work is complete, you are gone. My work is still ongoing. You left tomorrow for us. So, tomorrow belongs to us.” He is survived by his wife, Priyanka Sankar, and their daughter, Indraja Shankar. His final rites will be held today.
