Actor Kavi Kumar Azaad, who played the character of Dr Hansraaj Hathi on the popular show "Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah", had passed away on Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Azaad aged 46, had played the role of Dr Hathi for a year after replacing actor Nirmal Soni since the start of the show in 2009.

In Twitter, the show's official handle posted, "Team #TMKOC & #NeelaTeleFilms regrets to inform about the loss of our beloved Kavi Kumar Azaad aka @DrHaathi_TMKOC. He was a talented actor with an optimistic personality who never missed a chance to make people smile. Thank you for all the fun-filled laughter memories #RIPDrHathi".

As per reports, Azaad was unwell and had been admitted to Wokhardt Hospital. He had slipped into a coma on Sunday.

The other actors of the show, including Dilip Joshi and Munmun Dutta, have expressed their grief on the actor's sudden demise.