Dinesh Phadnis (2 November 1966 – 5 December 2023) was an Indian television actor. His most well-known work was playing the character of Inspector Fredericks[1] in one of the longest running Indian TV shows, CID.[2]
Dinesh Phadnis | |
|---|---|
 Phadnis in 2010 | |
| Born | 2 November 1966 Mumbai, India |
| Died | 5 December 2023 (aged 57) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–2023 |
| Known for | Fredericks in CID |
| Spouse | Nayana |
| Children | 1 |
Apart from working as an Inspector in this television series, he also wrote some of the episodes of CID. He also appeared in the Bollywood film Sarfarosh and Super 30. He also wrote for a Marathi film. He lived in Shantivan, Borivali East.[3]
Early life
Phadnis was born on 2 November 1966, in Mumbai (then Bombay), Maharashtra, India. He fell in love with acting while still in school. He developed his acting abilities through a variety of stage productions and enthusiastically engaged in theatre productions. After his school, he chose to pursue acting as a full-time job with his innate talent and commitment.[4]
Career
Phadnis started his acting career in the 1990s. He auditioned for the show CID for the character of police officer Inspector Fredericks/Freddy. The show debuted in 1998, and Phadnis's character became an iconic and well known for humor. The show remained popular among fans until it concluded in 2018.[5]
Apart from CID, Phadnis was also a part of several movies, such as Sarfarosh. He was also part of TV shows such as Adaalat and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
Personal life
Phadnis was married to Nayana and had a daughter Tanu. After CID ended, he was in regular contact with fellow cast members Shivaji Satam, Dayanand Shetty, Narendra Gupta, Aditya Srivastava and many others.[6]
Death
Phadnis was hospitalized on 1 December 2023. Initially it was reported as heart attack, but his CID co-star Dayanand Shetty stated that he had suffered from a liver damage. His condition was initially critical, but it did not improve despite being on ventilator.[7] He died on 5 December 2023, 12:08 am, aged 57.[8][9][10] His co-stars from CID as well as numerous fans paid tribute to him on social media such as Instagram, where he had a huge fan following.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Sarfarosh | Inspector |
| 2000 | Mela | Cameo appearance in the song 'Mela Dilon Ka' |
| 2001 | Officer | Inspector |
Television
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2018 | CID | Inspector Fredericks | |
| 2005 | CID: Special Bureau | Sub-Inspector Fredericks | |
| 2012 | Adaalat | Inspector Fredericks | Guest |
| 2014 | Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah | ||
| 2019 | CIF | Constable Shambhu Tawde | Supporting role |