The BBC's online news site www.bbcnews.com was flooded with hundreds of tributes from around the world to the veteran Bollywood actor-politician Sunil Dutt who died in Mumbai Wednesday.

The site's South Asia page received thousands of hits and hundreds of tributes just hours after it announced his passing to it's global audience, bbcnews.com said in a statement.

Tributes came in from every corner of the globe. Apart from those writing from India there were tributes from Britain, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey, among others.

Vikram from Germany wrote to the site's Hindi language page to say: "All Indians have lost a real jewel from our lives".

Zahid Ihsan of Rawalpindi said: "My generation loved him. I loved him, so did millions of his fans"

"A great man, a great human being. We are sad to lose such a great figure of the cinema world," said Naim of Kabul.

"One of the icons from yesteryears has gone. He will be sorely missed. May he be at peace with Nargis forever," wrote Ash Sharma of London.

"A good actor, a humble politician, may his soul rest in peace," said Sukumar of Tampere, Finland.

Sunil Dutt was one of the legendary actors in Bollywood and India has lost one good actor and a good politician," wrote Pawan Joshi of Kathmandu.

"In the hearts of all who knew him, his memory lives. May you find sedation and peace," said Henrietta Kosik of Dubai.

"Shocked to read the news. He was a wonderful actor and his movies were always a treat to watch. I pray that his soul may rest in eternal peace," wrote Shehzad Valliani of Karachi, Pakistan.

"He will be the source of inspiration to all young Indians worldwide," said Chetan Pathak of Birmingham.