WEB DESK: Veteran Indian actor Pradeep Rawat, celebrated for his memorable performances in Ghajini, Lagaan, and B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, has passed away at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer.
The news was first announced by actor Yashpal Sharma, who paid an emotional tribute to his longtime colleague on Instagram, writing, “Pradeep Rawat, our Ghajini Deva of Lagaan. RIP.”
Rawat’s manager, Siddharth Tiwari, later confirmed the actor’s death, revealing that his cancer had relapsed and that he had been hospitalised for more than a month. He is survived by his wife and son.
With a career spanning more than four decades, Rawat worked across multiple Indian film industries, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Marathi and Nepali cinema.
Although he entered films in the early 1980s, Rawat became a household name through his portrayal of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s iconic television series Mahabharat. He later gained recognition as one of Indian cinema’s most formidable character actors and screen villains.
His breakthrough film roles included Deva Singh in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001) and the feared antagonist Ghajini Dharmatma in A.R. Murugadoss’ Tamil blockbuster Ghajini (2005). He reprised the same role in the 2008 Hindi remake opposite Aamir Khan.
Another milestone came with S.S.
Rajamouli’s Telugu film Sye (2004), where his portrayal of Bikshu Yadav earned widespread acclaim.
Rawat’s extensive body of work also featured films such as Sarfarosh, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Stalin, Rowdy Rathore, Veeram, 1: Nenokkadine, Loukyam, Nenu Sailaja, Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, Aayirathil Iruvar, Market Raja MBBS, Miss Match, Waltair Veerayya, Gulu Gulu and Chhaava, leaving behind a lasting legacy across Indian cinema.
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