He has a cardiac surgeon of exceptional skill, friend to powerful politicians, a Hindu activist and a dreamer. Nitu Mandke died on Thursday at the JJ Hospital of a massive heart attack. He was 52.

Mandke was well versed with the warning signs as he headed home to Vile Parle from his Kemps Corner clinic on Monday. It was midnight when he got himself admitted in Hinduja Hospital. He then suffered a mild stroke and was moved to the ICU where his heart finally failed him. Mandke first came to public attention as the surgeon who operated on Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray seven years ago.