Bollywood Actor Pradeep Rawat, who played Villain of ‘Ghajini’, Passes Away at 74

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Mumbai: Veteran Bollywood actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for playing iconic villain roles in Lagaan and Ghajini, passed away on August 4, 2026 in Mumbai at the age of 74. Co-star Yashpal Sharma confirmed the news.

Born on January 21, 1952 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Rawat had a career spanning over four decades from 1983 to 2026. He worked predominantly in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil films and was celebrated for his powerful screen presence as an antagonist.

Popular Hindi films

Rawat was a familiar face in Bollywood and made a mark with these notable Hindi films: Sarfarosh (1999) played Sultan, Lagaan (2001) played Deva Singh Sodhi,  Ghajini (2008) played the villain.

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He first gained nationwide recognition on television as Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat’.

In South cinema too, he was well known. He debuted in Telugu with Sye and won the Filmfare Best Villain Award (Telugu) in 2004 for it. He also acted in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Bhojpuri films.

Fans and co-stars have been paying tributes to the actor, remembering him for his towering villainous roles and distinctive voice that made him one of the most recognizable faces in Indian cinema.

He is survived by his wife Kalyani Rawat and two children.

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