Varinder Singh Ghuman, a Punjabi action actor and former bodybuilder, has died at the age of 42. He suffered a heart attack while in hospital for a minor operation on a bicep injury. Doctors reported that he went into cardiac arrest during shoulder surgery and could not be revived.
Ghuman began his career in bodybuilding, winning the Mr India competition in 2009 and securing second place in Mr Asia. His stature earned him a role as a brand ambassador for Arnold Schwarzenegger's health products in Asia, and he remains the only Asian to compete in Schwarzenegger's international bodybuilding contest, the Arnold Classic. Unusually for a bodybuilder, he was a strict vegetarian.
He transitioned to film in 2012, debuting in 'Kabaddi Once More' and later appearing in Bollywood films such as 'Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans' (2014), 'Marjaavaan' (2019), and 'Tiger 3' (2023) alongside Salman Khan. Known as 'India's He-Man' due to his muscular physique, he also owned a gym.
Tributes have flooded in from fans. One wrote on Facebook: 'Very sad news RIP God bless his soul and bless his all family and friends.' Another said: 'It's really sad news. He was an ideal for the youth.' A third commented: 'You will be missed forever the official heman of India.' His death comes just one day after fellow Punjabi icon Rajvir Jawanda died following a motorbike accident.
