Veteran actor Ramesh Bhatkar, who was battling lung cancer for a long time, passed away yesterday. He was 70. The actor was known for his role in Zee TV's investigative series, Commander.

Producer Makarand Adhikari, who joined forces with the senior actor for Hello Inspector and Commander, said, "I am saddened by the loss of Rameshji. He was like family to me. We first collaborated on Hello Inspector in 1989. His popularity in the series made us cast him as the lead character in Commander."