Anuj Thakur, Dhoom Machao Dhoom actor, dies at 33 after seizure in sleep

Anuj Thakur, a Hindi television actor best known for the Disney Channel India series Dhoom Machao Dhoom, has died at the age of 33. His friend, the casting director Rupesh Sonar, said Thakur died on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after suffering a seizure while asleep at his home in Oshiwara, in Mumbai's western suburbs. The news became public on Monday, November 2, after Sonar shared a tribute on Instagram, and searches for the actor's name rose sharply across India.

Thakur belonged to a generation of young actors who came up through the youth and family dramas of Hindi general entertainment and children's channels. Dhoom Machao Dhoom, a Disney Channel India series, still has a following among viewers who watched it as children, and many of them were among the people searching for his name this week.

His death also drew attention because of how it was described. According to Sonar, Thakur kept a disciplined routine and woke at 4.30 every morning to go jogging. The sudden death of a young man who seemed healthy has led to many questions online about seizures and what can happen during sleep. The family has not released any medical report, and no official cause of death beyond the seizure described by his friend has been made public. Readers should treat claims on social media about a specific illness with caution until the family or doctors say more.

The wider health picture is worth knowing. The World Health Organization (WHO) says epilepsy, a long-term brain condition that causes repeated seizures, affects around 50 million people worldwide, and nearly 80% of them live in low- and middle-income countries such as India. WHO says the risk of early death for people with epilepsy is up to three times that of the general population, and that many of these deaths, from falls, drowning, burns and long seizures, can be prevented. It also says up to 70% of people with epilepsy could live without seizures if they were properly diagnosed and treated. These are general figures; it has not been reported that Thakur had been diagnosed with epilepsy.

For the television industry, the news is another reminder of how quickly actors who were once regular faces on screen can drop out of public view. Sonar said Thakur had been talking about a comeback shortly before he died, a plan that many mid-career television actors share as the industry moves between broadcast channels and streaming platforms.

Short-term: Colleagues and fans have posted tributes, and old clips of Dhoom Machao Dhoom and his other shows are being shared widely online. The family has not announced any public memorial.

Long-term: The death adds to calls from doctors and patient groups for greater awareness of seizures, timely diagnosis and steady treatment, which WHO says can allow most people with epilepsy to live seizure-free.

Who is affected: Thakur's mother, brother and close friends; the actors and crews he worked with; and the viewers who grew up watching him on children's and family television.

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