Pradeep Rawat, the veteran actor best known for his roles in films like Sarfarosh (1999), Lagaan (2001), and Ghajini (2008), passed away on August 4 at age 74. The actor, who was previously diagnosed with cancer, died after a cancer relapse.
His manager Siddharth Tiwari confirmed to the press that Rawat had been hospitalised for over a month and was undergoing treatment before his death. He is survived by his wife, Kalyani, and their children.
Born on August 21,1952, Rawat's work spanned industries such as Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam across more than four decades. While he made his debut in the early 1980s, Rawat became a household name with his depiction of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat (1988-1990), one of India's landmark television shows. Rawat's portrayal came to be synonymous with the character for years to come.
He went on to pursue roles in television, with appearances in other DD National shows like Tehkikaat (1994), Chandrakanta (1994), and Yug (1996).
Following this was a slate of characters that transformed him into one of Indian cinema's most dependable actors and a household name across the country.
Among his most well-known roles is Deva Singh Sodhi in Ashutosh Gowariker's Oscar-nominated Lagaan, in which he performed alongside Aamir Khan. After his performance in A.R. Murugadoss’ Ghajini, the Tamil blockbuster film, Rawat reprised his role in the 2008 Hindi remake, once again performing with Aamir Khan.
His 2004 portrayal of Bikshu Yadav in S.S. Rajamouli's Telugu sports-action film Sye earned him the year's Filmfare for Best Villain.
Rawat's recent projects span industries including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Nepali and more, with films like Gaayapadda Simham (2026), Waltair Veerayya (2023), Chhaava (2025), Aa Bata Aama (2026).
Rawat's work in film and television over the years saw him in a wide range of productions across languages. Tributes were paid by colleagues and collaborators from the film industry following news of his death. Actor Yashpal Sharma paid tribute to his colleague of many years with an emotional post on Instagram. His post read, “Pradeep Rawat Our Gajini Deva of Lagaan RIP.”