Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, remembered for bringing some of Indian cinema's most memorable on-screen villains to life, died at the age of 74. Best known for his performances in Ghajini, Lagaan and Mahabharat, the actor breathed his last on Tuesday evening at a hospital in Bhiwandi after his long fight with blood cancer took a tragic turn following a recent relapse.
[Also read: Pradeep Rawat aka Ghajini, Lagaan's Deva passes away at 74, manager reveals the reason; Yashpal Sharma pays tribute]
Pradeep Rawat's last rites
Pradeep Rawat is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and their son, Vikramaditya. His Lagaan co-star Yashpal Sharma confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing that the actor's antim darshan and last rites will be held on Wednesday, August 5.
The news of Pradeep Rawat's death was confirmed by the actor’s manager, Siddharth Tiwari, to HT City. According to him, the actor had been fighting blood cancer for the last five years. Although he had fought the disease four years back, the cancer relapsed six weeks back. "He passed away today, August 4, somewhere between 6 to 6.30 pm. He survived cancer four years back, but again, since the last one and a half months, it was a relapse of cancer. So, he was hospitalised since one month. All of a sudden, his platelets went down and from there, he just couldn't recover," Tiwari stated.
Industry mourns Pradeep Rawat's death
{{/usCountry}}The news of Pradeep Rawat's death was confirmed by the actor’s manager, Siddharth Tiwari, to HT City. According to him, the actor had been fighting blood cancer for the last five years. Although he had fought the disease four years back, the cancer relapsed six weeks back. "He passed away today, August 4, somewhere between 6 to 6.30 pm. He survived cancer four years back, but again, since the last one and a half months, it was a relapse of cancer. So, he was hospitalised since one month. All of a sudden, his platelets went down and from there, he just couldn't recover," Tiwari stated.
Industry mourns Pradeep Rawat's death
{{/usCountry}}Actor Yashpal Sharma, who worked with Rawat in Lagaan, paid tribute to him on Instagram shortly after the news broke. “Pradeep Rawat, our Ghajini, Deva of Lagaan, RIP,” he wrote on Instagram.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also remembered the late actor and celebrated his contribution to Indian cinema. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of veteran Bollywood actor Pradeep Rawat at the age of 74. With his powerful screen presence, he portrayed some of the most unforgettable villainous characters alongside many of Bollywood's legendary comedians and actors. His remarkable performances and immense contribution to Indian cinema will always be remembered and cherished by generations of film lovers," the statement read on X.
A career filled with unforgettable performances
Pradeep Rawat was born on January 21, 1952, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and pursued an acting career which spanned over four decades. Apart from Hindi films, he also did many films in the industry of Telugu, Tamil, and others.
Many television viewers first recognised him as Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat (1988), a role that remains one of the most memorable parts of the iconic mythological series.
He later became a familiar face in Bollywood through several powerful supporting and negative roles. Rawat appeared as Sultan in Aamir Khan's Sarfarosh (1999), played the fiery fast bowler Deva Singh Sodhi in the Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001), and earned widespread acclaim as the ruthless Ghajini Dharmatma. He first portrayed the character in the 2005 Tamil film before reprising the role in the 2008 Hindi remake starring Aamir Khan.
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