Actor Vishal Thakkar who is best remembered for his 7 minute role in Sanjay Dutt's cult movie Munnabhai MBBS in 2003 went missing since the December of 2015 and it’s been three years, yet he remains untraceable.


It was December 31, 2015, when the actor asked his mother Durga to join him to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens at a theatre. That was the last time she saw her son. According to reports, at 10.30 pm, Vishal borrowed Rs 500 from Durga and left their Mulund flat. At 1 am, he texted his father Mahendra, a businessman: ‘I am going to a party. See you tomorrow.’ The next morning, Thakkar went missing. Vishu, as his family called him, would be 33 years old now. “I have no clue what happened to my son,” said Durga, 60. It has been three years, but the case has not progressed an inch.

 Vishal Thakkar as Varun the suicide patient in Munnabhai MBBS

Vishal became famous after his seven-minute role in Munnabhai MBBS in 2003. He later bagged roles in Tango Charlie (2005) and popular TV comedy show Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma.

Police said he was last spotted by his girlfriend on Ghodbunder Road at 11.45 am on January 1, as he hailed an autorickshaw to Andheri for a shoot. His last Facebook post was at 12.10 pm, wishing ‘Happy New Year’.

Soon after, his phone was found switched off. No hospital reported an unidentified man matching his description, there was no ransom call and his phone was never found switched on again. Even his bank account has shown no activity since.

Former investigating officer Mahendra Puri, who filed the missing complaint at Mulund police station, said: “Initially, we suspected the girlfriend. But her statement had no discrepancies.”

Since Vishal’s last call data records traced him to Ghodbunder Road, the case was transferred to Kasarvadavli police. Inspector N A Kulkarni said: “We don’t know if it’s a murder, or a kidnapping, or he has run away.”

On a related note, three months before he went missing, Vishal was accused of ‘rape’ by his alleged girlfriend. A report states that the girl had even lodged a complaint against the actor, but eventually, they had resolved their differences and the complaint was withdrawn.

Eight months ago the girl in question was found dead in her Kandivali flat, possibly due to a heart attack.

Reportedly, Vishal was said to be mentally disturbed state due to no work, and his image was further tarnished due to the rape controversy.

The police too added that his acting career took a hit after the complaint, leaving him depressed.