New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS): Actor Aditya Srivastava expressed his grief over the untimely demise of his ‘CID’ co-actor Dinesh Phadnis, and shared they were like a family, calling him the 'pillar of strength'.

Aditya, who played Senior Inspector Abhijeet in the show, told IANS: "At midnight 12.08 he left us. He got a reaction with a medicine due to which there was a problem on liver, and then there was a multiple organ failure situation. He was hospitalised for the past two-three days and yesterday he passed away."

The 'Super 30' fame actor said: "We had a long association with each other, it was like family. We were together for more than 20 years for the show. We used to meet on different occasions, and situations. The way he was on the screen, similarly he was in real life. 'Bahut zinda dil tha'. He was jovial, caring, and a good friend. We are still in shock."

The actor called the "core 'CID' team was like a family only".

"We have spent a lot of time together. A team goes for a long time, when you have like-minded people together, and everything is smooth. He was a pillar of strength," said the 55-year-old.

The 'Lakshya' fame concluded, saying, "Kisi bhi situation me khada rehne wala, or saath dene wala insaan tha. He used to make us laugh all day, crack jokes etc."

Dinesh gained popularity by playing the fun-loving Fredericks' in 'CID'. He breathed his last in Mumbai aged 57.