Veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor passed away on Monday at the age of 79,according to Indian media reports.

Kapoor, who was one of the finest artists of his generation, was unwell for quite some time. He was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, India Today reported.

The third and youngest son of Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor made his Bollywood debut in 1961, as the lead actor, in the film Dharmputra.

In 2011, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his contributions to Art-Cinema, reported Hindustan Times. 

In 2015, he was awarded the 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, making him the third member of his family to receive the highest award in Indian Cinema after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor