KGF actor Harish Rai reveals he is battling throat cancer, had beard in film to hide swelling: Things are becoming worse

Actor Harish Rai, who was last seen in Yash's KGF: Chapter 2, has revealed that he is suffering from throat cancer and had to keep a beard in the film to hide the swelling caused by the illness.

Actor Harish Rai, who was recently seen in Yash-starrer KGF: Chapter 2, has revealed in a recent interview that he is battling with advanced throat cancer. The actor, who is prolific in Kannada cinema, also added that he was dealing with the disease while shooting for KGF 2 earlier this year and kept a beard to hide the swelling caused by the cancer.

Harish Rai played Khasim in the Yash-starrer KGF.

KGF: Chapter 2, starring Yash, is one of the most successful Indian films of all time, having earned over ₹1200 crore at the box office. Harish played Khasim chacha, a father figure to Yash’s Rocky in the Prashanth Neel film. Harish also appeared in KGF: Chapter 1, which released in 2018.

Recently, in an interview with YouTuber Gopi Gowdru, Harish opened up about his illness. “Situations can bestow greatness upon you or take things away from you. There is no escaping fate. I’ve been suffering from cancer for three years. There is a reason I had a long beard when performing in KGF, to cover up the swelling in my neck that this disease has created.”

Apart from the KGF franchise, Harish has also worked in films like Bangalore Underworld, Dhan Dhana Dhan, and Nanna Kanasina Hoove. He has been active as a character artiste in Kannada cinema for over 25 years.