Ghajini Actor Pradeep Rawat Dies At 74 After Blood Cancer Relapse; Yashpal Sharma Mourns 'Longtime Friend' With Emotional Tribute

Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, known for his role in Ghajini, has passed away at the age of 74. Fellow actor Yashpal Sharma and manager Siddharth Tiwari confirmed the news of Pradeeps's demise. Yashpal paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime friend in an emotional note.

Yashpal wrote, "Pradeep Rawat, Our Ghajini Deva of Lagaan. RIP." Fans soon flooded the comment section with heartfelt condolence messages, mourning Pradeep Rawat's demise and praying for his soul to rest in peace.

Siddharth, Pradeep Rawat's manager, said to Hindustan Times, "He was suffering from cancer, and it had relapsed. He has died a few hours back." According to reports, Pradeep Rawat had been hospitalised for over a month after his cancer relapsed. Pradeep Rawat is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and their two sons, Vikram Rawat and Singh Rawat. Despite his decades-long career in the film industry, Rawat largely kept his family life away from the public eye, with his wife and children staying out of the limelight.

The actor's funeral details have not been announced yet. His family and close friends are expected to share information about the last rites in due course.

Who Was Pradeep Rawat?

Pradeep Rawat was one of Indian cinema's most recognisable character actors, best known for his powerful villainous roles across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films. Born on January 21, 1952, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, he began his acting journey in Hindi cinema with Meri Jung before gaining widespread recognition as Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's iconic television series Mahabharat.

Rawat went on to build an illustrious career spanning over four decades, appearing in acclaimed films such as Sarfarosh, Lagaan, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Ghajini, Singh Is Bliing, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Chhaava. While his performances in Lagaan and Sarfarosh were widely appreciated, his major breakthrough in South Indian cinema came with S.S. Rajamouli's Sye, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Villain (Telugu) and opened the doors to numerous Telugu films