Popular activist and actor Vira Sathidar passed away on Tuesday, April 13, due to Covid 19 complications. The news was confirmed by director Chaitanya Tamhane. He was 62 years old when he breathed his last. Vira Sathidar who tested positive for Corona Virus recently was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Nagpur. After failing to respond to the treatment, Vira Sathidar died at 3.42 AM on April 13. According to reports, he died following a corona virus-induced pneumonia with respiratory failure. Talking to Indian Express, Vira Sathidar's son Rahul said, "He was admitted to AIIMS for Covid-19 treatment. He had developed pneumonia and died around 4 am on Tuesday after developing complications".

Vira Sathidar is best known for his impactful performance in his one and only feature film, Court, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2015. Vira Sathidar played the lead character, Narayan Kamble, and his natural and intense performance left a solid impact among the audience. He received high praises from the critics for his performance in the film. Court was also India's official entry to the Academy Award for the Best International Feature Film category in 2015. The film which also starred Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane, Shirish Pawar, was directed by Chaitanya Tamhane. The acclaimed filmmaker mentioned in his statement that he was shocked to know about Vira Sathidar's demise.

Talking about it to PTI, Chaitanya said, "He (Vira Sathidar) had COVID 19 and was put on a ventilator. It's an extremely unfortunate news. It is yet to sink in. He was not only an actor, activist, and poet but also one of the nicest human beings I've met. I still can't process it. He was a fantastic person and I can now only think of the time we spent making Court,". Apart from Court, Sathidar also acted in two other short films. Court was the sole feature film that he was a part of. Vira Sathidar was an active participant in the Ambedkarite movement that happened in Maharashtra. The fans have been expressing their heartfelt condolences on social media.

Covid 19 virus has been killing a lot of innocent lives for more than a year and it is important for us to stay safe and protect our close ones. Wear face masks, use hand sanitizers and follow the Covid 19 protocols to stay safe and secure from the virus.