Renowned Garhwali comedian Ghannanand, popularly known as Ghanna Bhai, has passed away. He was undergoing treatment at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital in Dehradun, where he had been on a ventilator for the past four days. Despite doctors’ best efforts, he could not be saved.
Balbir Singh Panwar, chief patron of Awaaz Suno Pahadon Ki, and Narendra Rauthan, the program’s coordinator, revealed that Ghanna Bhai had pre-existing heart issues and had a pacemaker implanted. Recently, he was hospitalized due to blood in urine, and his condition worsened after receiving a blood transfusion.
Ghanna Bhai made significant contributions to Garhwali films and music albums through his comedy. He also ventured into politics, contesting the 2012 Uttarakhand Assembly elections from Pauri on a BJP ticket, though he was unsuccessful. In 2022, he once again sought a BJP ticket. His demise has sent shockwaves through Uttarakhand’s cultural community.
