In her condolence message, Soni said, "With his death, Hindi cinema has lost one of its most outstanding character artist."
She said, "Through his memorable roles, Hangalji weaved generations together. His roles evoked positivism and the relevance of human values in life. His death has left a void which will be difficult to full."
Hangal, who was best known for his roles in films like 'Namak Haram', 'Sholay' and 'Shaukeen', passed away at a hospital in Mumabi today following a brief illness. He was 98.
The veteran was admitted to the hospital in suburban Santa Cruz on August 16 after he slipped and fell down in his bathroom on August 13, fracturing his thigh bone.