Veteran actor Dilip Kumar's younger brother Ehsan Khan, who tested positive for coronavirus last month, has died, according to the Bollywood star's family friend, Faisal Farooqui. He was 90.
The cinema icon's two brothers, Ehsan Khan and Aslam Khan were admitted to Lilavati Hospital on August 15 after they complained of breathlessness and eventually tested positive for COVID-19.
Ehsan Khan breathed his last late Wednesday night due to coronavirus, the doctor of the 90-year-old has said. Ehsan Khan was also reportedly battling heart disease, hypertension, and Alzheimer's.
Faisal Farooqui took to Kumar's official Twitter account to confirm the news.
"Dilip saab's youngest brother Ehsan Khan, passed away few hours ago. Earlier, youngest brother, Aslam had passed away. We are from God and to Him we return. Please pray for them (sic)," the tweet read.
On August 21, Dilip Kumar's other brother Aslam Khan also succumbed to coronavirus and passed away in the early hours of the day. His death was due to complications arising from the infection. He had diabetes, hypertension and ischaemic heart disease apart from COVID-19, which resulted in his rapid decline in health. Ischaemic heart disease occurs by the narrow arteries, leading to less blood and oxygen in the heart.
Both Aslam and Ehsaan had been hospitalised after they were found to be infected with coronavirus. Confirming their hospitalization on August 16, Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar's wife, had earlier said to ETimes, “They are under treatment of Jalil Parker and Cardiologist Nitin Gokhale. Pray that they should recover well by the Grace of God...AMEEN."
In March, Kumar, 97, had shared a health update on Twitter, saying that he and wife, actor Saira Banu, 75, were under "complete isolation" and quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Dilip Kumar is a National Award-winning actor, has worked in critically-acclaimed films like Kohinoor, Mughal-e-Azam, Shakti, Naya Daur, Ram Aur Shyam, and Jugnu among many others.
On Wednesday, coronavirus caseload in Maharashtra rose to 8,25,739, while death toll reached 25,195.