Tragedy Strikes: Beloved Actor Robo Shankar, Known for The Lion King, Passes Away at 46 After On-Set Collapse

Actor and comedian Robo Shankar has died at the age of 46, just one day after being hospitalised following a collapse on the set of his latest production. On Wednesday, September 18, the Tamil actor was admitted to the ICU in Chennai after he fainted and his condition deteriorated. He was reportedly diagnosed with liver and kidney failure upon admission to the hospital.

He was the Tamil voice of Pumbaa in Disney’s The Lion King in 2019, and he reprised the role in 2024 for Mufasa: The Lion King. He had only recently recovered from jaundice and lost a significant amount of weight during his recovery, leading to concern from fans. The star earned the name Robo after performing robot acts during shows in villages and on television. He began working in films in 1997 and after a series of uncredited roles, he shot to fame after his performance in Vijay Sethupathi’s Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumar.

Despite his recent illness, he returned to wok and most recently appeared on Sun TV’s cooking-based reality show, Top Cooku Dupe Cooku, where he was eliminated from the show.

Fellow Tamil actor Kamal Haasan shared a heartfelt tribute to Robo on X. “Robo Shankar. Robo is just a pseudonym. In my dictionary, you are a human. You’re my younger brother. Will you just leave me and go? Your job is done, you left. My job remains unfinished. You leave tomorrow for us. Therefore, tomorrow is ours,” he penned.

Fans also rushed to pay tribute as they learned the news. “Robo Shankar was a real entertainer I still remember that annaiku kalaila 5 mani … #RIP” one wrote.

“Robo Shankar – A multi-talented person, gone too soon. RIP,” another added. A third chimed in: “Life is unexpected, enjoy your moments every day. He was just 46 years of age. RIP Robo Shankar.”

Robo first came to prominence performing stand-up comedy on STAR Vijay’s Kalakka Povathu Yaaru?, He was then cast as a regular on several shows on the channel and graduated to presenting for them.

Although his movie career only began in 1997, he had appeared in well over 50 movies by the time of his death. He was also a regular on TV and a judge on Kings of Comedy Juniors in 2018.

He is survived by his wife, Priyanka Robo Shankar, and daughter, Indraja Shankar, who are both actors. His daughter Indraja made her acting debut in Bigil as one of the women football players and also a castaway in Zee Tamil’s Survivor show. Meanwhile, his wife Priyanka Shankar made her acting debut with Kanni Maadam in 2020.

His body will be shifted to his home in Chennai’s Valasaravakkam on Thursday, September 18, and his last rites will be performed in the city on Friday, September 19.