Dangal actor Suhani Bhatnagar dies at 19

Dangal actor Suhani Bhatnagar dies at 19

Actor Suhani Bhatnagar, who had played the role of young ‘Babita Phogat’ in 2016 film Dangal, died in Delhi on Friday.

The 19-year-old actor, who was admitted to AIIMS on February 7, was undergoing treatment in the hospital’s medicine department. “She was in ICU, and passed away on February 16,” said an AIIMS official on Saturday.

The actor’s family said her final rites was held at their house in Faridabad Sector 17 on Saturday.

“She had suffered a fracture in her feet two months ago and later developed complications due to the medication.

There was water retention in her body and even doctors were uncertain about what was happening,” said the actor’s grandfather, A P Bhatnagar.

Officials of AIIMS, however, have not confirmed this.

Bhatnagar was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Faridabad’s Rachna Manav University.

“She was in the first year of college, and was focusing on her studies. Though she had acting opportunities, we let it pass as she wanted to complete her studies first… She wanted to do more films in the future,” said the actor’s grandfather.

The deceased actor’s father works at an MNC, and her mother is a housewife. “It is difficult to talk about it… The whole family is in grief,” said the grandfather.

Bhatnagar, a native of Faridabad, was a child model, which later made her bag the role of young ‘Babita Phogat’ in Aamir Khan starrer Dangal.

“A photographer had approached us about the film’s audition, and she got the role. Life was going well for her…,” her grandfather added.

Dangal starred Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat, an amateur wrestler who trains his daughters Babita and Geeta — roles played by Bhatnagar and Zaira Wasim, respectively — to become international female wrestlers.

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