'Ghajini' Villain Pradeep Rawat Dies At 74, Suffering From Cancer And Was Admitted To Hospital
Aamir Khan's co-star Pradeep Rawat, famously known for his villainous roles in movies, died at the age of 74.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleBollywood’s famous villain Pradeep Rawat passed away at 74, leaving his family, fans and colleagues mourning. Actor Yashpal Sharma confirmed the heartbreaking news of Pradeep's demise. The actor, who was best known for his roles in Hindi films, Ghajini and Lagaan, is survived by his wife and son Vikramaditya. It is worth mentioning that Pradeep had kept his personal life out of the public spotlight.
Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat passes away at the age of 74
Legendary actor Pradeep Rawat died at the age of 74. According to a report by Movie Talkies, the legendary actor breathed his last at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. Pradeep’s manager, Siddharth Tiwari, confirmed to HT City that the veteran actor was suffering from cancer, which had relapsed. Confirming his death, Siddharth shared:
"He was suffering from cancer, and it had relapsed. He died a few hours back."
The Hindustan Times report stated that the legendary actor had been admitted to the hospital for over a month now. It was actor Yashpal Sharma who first announced the death of Pradeep Rawat. Taking to his Instagram handle, he wrote, "Pradeep Rawat, our Gajini Deva of Lagaan. RIP." Soon after Yashpal announced Pradeep’s demise, netizens paid their heartfelt tributes to the veteran actor. A user wrote, "RIP Pradeep sir, you will be missed so much. So sad and a big black day for Bollywood. Om Shanti."
Another user commented, "Om shanti. We lost one of the best commendable artists in the film industry. Thank you for all your masterclass performances, sir. May the family gather strength to bear this huge loss." A third user penned, "May your soul get fulfilled with cinema and love to you, RIP." A fourth user shared, "Om Shanti to the legendary actor who played the famous character of Ashwatthama in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat."
Inside Pradeep Rawat's illustrious acting career
Pradeep Rawat was a phenomenal actor who won hearts with his impeccable acting skills. He had worked in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. He was well known for playing villainous roles on screen. He made his debut in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, where he played the role of 'Ashwatthama'. He also debuted in Kannada cinema with Parodi; Malayalam cinema with China Town; Bengali cinema with Hero 420 and Bhojpuri cinema with Crack Fighter.
However, Pradeep received wider acclaim with his roles in the Bollywood films, Lagaan and Ghajini, co-starring Aamir Khan. In an old interview with News18, Pradeep shared why he stopped working in Bollywood. In his words:
"It’s not in my hands. After Lagaan, I did Ghajini, which was Bollywood’s first film to make Rs. 100 crore in 2010. It became a huge hit. After that, I have not been getting good characters. I felt that after doing such good roles, I could not take up just about anything. Plus, there was no urgency to run the family. I was getting films in the South, and they were working well for me. Things happen on their own in our line of work."
In 2024, Pradeep reunited with his co-star Aamir Khan at the special anniversary screening of Sarfarosh. In fact, during a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Pradeep shared a stark difference in the remuneration between the north and south film industries. He shared:
"In today’s times, money for the actors is more down South rather than Mumbai. If you are getting Rs. 100 in Mumbai, you will get Rs. 300 in the South. Agar Mumbai mein actor ko Rs. 1 lakh mil raha hai ek din ka, wahan unko Rs. 3 lakh milega."
Rest in peace, Pradeep Rawat.
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