Dinesh Phadnis death: CID co-stars Aditya Srivastava, Shraddha Musale remember Fredericks

CID fame actor Dinesh Phadnis passed away at midnight at a hospital in Mumbai following health complications, actor-friend Aditya Srivastava said. He was 57. The actor, best known for his appearance as Fredericks in the popular TV show CID, was admitted to Tunga Hospital in suburban Mumbai a few days ago.

Phadnis, one of the famous faces in the movie and TV industry, also featured in movies such as Sarfarosh and Mela. His last rites were held in Borivali East this morning.

Aditya Srivastava calls Dinesh Phadnis ' zinda dil'

Aditya Srivastava, who played Senior Inspector Abhijeet in CID, called Phadnis "a part of his family". He told IANS, "We had a long association with each other, it was like family. We were together for more than 20 years for the show. We used to meet on different occasions, and situations. The way he was on the screen, similarly he was in real life. 'Bahut zinda dil tha'. He was jovial, caring, and a good friend. We are still in shock."

"We have spent a lot of time together. A team goes for a long time, when you have like-minded people together, and everything is smooth. He was a pillar of strength. Kisi bhi situation me khada rehne wala, or saath dene wala insaan tha. He used to make us laugh all day, crack jokes etc." he continued.

'Dr Tarika' Shraddha Musale says she had ‘dil se dil wala’ connection with Dinesh Phadnis  

Speaking about the fond memories she shared with Dinesh Phadnis, Shraddha Musale told IANS, “What I feel is that we had a ‘dil se dil wala’ connection. We had many hearty one-on one talks with each other. He used to listen to everything that you share with him.”

“We both used to talk in Marathi. The Marathi language brought us together. He used to bring tiffin from home. There used to be heart-to-heart conversations with him on sets, and also outside. We had an attachment with the star cast of the show, but there was also a one-on-one attachment with Dinesh ji. And that was something different,” she said.

Hrishikesh Pandey remembers Dinesh Phadnis

Hrishikesh Pandey, who played the character of Inspector Sachin in CID also remembered Dinesh Phadnis. Recalling memories with his dear 

Fredricks from the show, Hrishikesh told IANS, “I can only say we have lost a family member because so many years of our time we have spent together, eating together. So it’s been more than a family because of the kind of time we spent. We were always in touch even after CID we were always going to each others’ house. We had just met (too).”