Actor-activist Vira Sathidar, best known for featuring in the National Award-winning film Court, died on Tuesday due to COVID-19 related complications, filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane confirmed. The actor, who was in his early sixties, was admitted to Nagpur hospital after he contracted the coronavirus. According to Tamhane, who directed him in the acclaimed 2014 Court, the actor was put on a ventilator and breathed his last around 3 AM.

"It's true. He passed away at around 3 AM in the hospital. He had COVID-19 and was on a ventilator. It's an extremely unfortunate news. It is yet to sink in," Tamhane told PTI. Sathidar rose to prominence after playing the role of protest singer Narayan Kamble in "Court", who is accused of encouraging a manhole worker to commit suicide through one of his folk songs.