Robo Shankar dead: Beloved Lion King star dies at 46 one day after collapsing on set

Beloved actor and comedian Robo Shankar tragically passed away at the tender age of 46, just a day after being rushed to the hospital following a sudden collapse on the set of his latest project.

On Wednesday, 18th September, the Tamil star was admitted to an ICU in Chennai after fainting, and his health rapidly deteriorated. He was reportedly diagnosed with liver and kidney failure upon arrival at the hospital.

He was best known for lending his voice to the character 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 bounced back from jaundice and lost a significant amount of weight during his recovery, sparking worry among his fans.

The star earned the nickname Robo after performing robot acts during shows in villages and on television. He began his film career in 1997 and after a series of uncredited roles, he shot to fame after his performance in Vijay Sethupathi's Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumar.

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Despite his recent health scare, he returned to work 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 wrote.

Supporters also flocked to pay their respects upon hearing the devastating news. "Robo Shankar was a real entertainer I still remember that annaiku kalaila 5 mani ... #RIP" one penned.

"Robo Shankar - A multi-talented person, gone too soon. RIP," another contributed. A third commented: "Life is unexpected, enjoy your moments every day. He was just 46 years of age. RIP Robo Shankar."

Robo initially rose to fame delivering stand-up comedy on STAR Vijay's Kalakka Povathu Yaaru. He was subsequently featured as a regular on numerous programmes on the network and progressed to hosting for them.

Though his film career only commenced in 1997, he had featured in well over 50 films by the time of his passing. He was also a fixture on television and served as a judge on Kings of Comedy Juniors in 2018.

He leaves behind his wife, Priyanka Robo Shankar, and daughter, Indraja Shankar, who are both performers. His daughter Indraja launched her acting career in Bigil as one of the female football players and also featured as a contestant on Zee Tamil's Survivor programme.

Meanwhile, his wife Priyanka Shankar launched her acting career with Kanni Maadam in 2020.

His remains will be transported to his residence in Chennai's Valasaravakkam on Thursday, September 18, and his final rites will take place in the city on Friday, September 19.

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