Pradeep Rawat had been in the hospital for the last couple of days.

Actor Pradeep Rawat, known for Ghajini and Lagaan, dies at 74 after cancer battle

Lagaan and Ghajini actor Pradeep Rawat died on Tuesday evening at a hospital in Bhiwandi after battling blood cancer for five years. His manager confirmed the news to India Today and said the actor had been hospitalised for the past few months.

by · India Today

In Short

  • Actor Pradeep Rawat died on Tuesday evening in Bhiwandi hospital
  • He battled blood cancer for five years with a recent relapse
  • Rawat’s business manager confirmed his death to India Today

Actor Pradeep Rawat, known for his roles in Lagaan and Ghajini, died on Tuesday evening at a hospital in Bhiwandi after suffering from blood cancer. He had been battling the illness for the past five years.

Rawat’s business manager, Siddharth Tiwari, confirmed the news to India Today. He said the actor had recovered earlier, but the cancer relapsed a few months ago. Tiwari said Rawat had been in hospital for the last couple of months and that his condition worsened over the past few days before he died on Tuesday evening.

Tiwari said Rawat breathed his last on Tuesday evening and that the last rites will most likely take place on Wednesday. No further details were shared. Rawat’s death was confirmed after reports of his treatment and deteriorating condition in the days leading up to Tuesday evening.

Yashpal Sharma, Rawat’s co-star in Lagaan, shared the news on his Instagram story. He wrote, "Our Ghazni, Lagaan's Deva Pradeep Rawat is no more. May his soul rest in peace."

Rawat was known for antagonist and character roles across Hindi and regional cinema, and was remembered for playing Ghajini Dharmatma in Ghajini and Deva Singh Sodhi in the Oscar-nominated period drama Lagaan.

Born on January 21, 1952, Rawat worked predominantly in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. Known for playing villainous roles, his first appearance was in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat as Ashwatthama.

He was introduced to Telugu cinema with Sye. In Tamil cinema, he acted in Ghajini, where he appeared in a double role, and later reprised the role in the Hindi remake.

Rawat also made his debut in Kannada cinema with Parodi, in Malayalam cinema with China Town, in Bengali cinema with Hero 420, and in Bhojpuri cinema with Crack Fighter.

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