Shockwaves were felt throughout the film industry in India this week amid news that noted actor Nithin Gopi had passed away as the result of a heart attack, as the Times of India reports.

Sources indicated that Gopi, 39, had complained of chest pain, and though he was swiftly taken to the hospital, he did not respond to emergency treatment and was declared dead.

Notable career

The Times noted that Gopi got an early start in the film world, appearing with screen legend Dr. Vishnuvardhan in the feature film Hello Daddy during his childhood.

Also included in Gopi's extensive professional credits were films such as Keralida Kesari, Muthinantha Hendthi, Nishabdha, Chirabandavua, and a host of other productions.

Gopi was also recognized for his contributions to the television series known as Punar Vivaha, which received strong critical acclaim.

Demonstrating his versatility as an actor, Gopi also lent his talents to multiple episodes of Hara Hara Mahadev, a devotional series.

Spate of recent industry losses

Gopi's untimely demise is being deeply felt among industry colleagues, and it represents the latest in a string of recent deaths among well-known actors in the country and adds to the list of famous stars lost to cardiac concerns, as India TV reports.

Among those in the film industry who have also been claimed by heart attacks are standouts such as Lakshman, Puneeth Rajkumar, Bullet Prakash, and Mandeep Roy.

Well-known industry personality Sampath Raj also died just days before Gopi in what was ultimately revealed to have been a domestic situation gone terribly wrong in that it resulted in an accidental hanging.

Renowned actor and director Tapori Satya – famous for appearances in more than 30 feature films – also recently passed away at the age of 45 of kidney failure, as the Times explained.

Gopi mourned

Reports suggest that Gopi, who was unmarried at the time of his death, had been living together with his parents in Ittamadu in Bengaluru.

His passing has prompted an outpouring of grief and sadness on social media, with at least one commentor noting that the young age at which he died should serve as a warning to others in his demographic who fail to lead healthy lifestyles and maintain proper diets.

One poster remarked that 39 “is not an age at all, it is a caution for present young generation, who must take required steps to safeguard their health with healthy food habits and good lifestyle including physical exercises,” and another speculated that Gopi perhaps “used to eat lots of 'non-veg foods,' which weakened his heart from within.”

Regardless of what led to Gopi's heart troubles, it is clear from his extensive list of film and television credits and the solid reputation he built over the decades that he will be sorely missed by legions of fans across India, not to mention his own friends and family.