Aug 05, 2026 12:34pm IST
Pradeep Rawat Dies at 74; Aamir Khan Says, ‘‘Ghajini’ Wouldn’t Have Worked Without Him’
Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, known for his memorable villainous turns across Hindi and South Indian cinema, passed away on August 4 at the age of 74 after battling blood cancer. He breathed his last at a hospital in Bhiwandi following a relapse and more than a month of hospitalization.
Aamir Khan, who shared screen space with Rawat in two of his most memorable films, “Lagaan” and “Ghajini”, remembers him as a dedicated and fearless actor. “He was extremely dedicated and fearless as an actor. Pradeepji played the title role in ‘Ghajini.’ I think this was one of the most striking screen villains in our cinema. The film wouldn’t have worked without him,” says Aamir.
Recalling Rawat’s performance as Deva Singh Sodhi in “Lagaan,” he adds, “Earlier, in ‘Lagaan,’ he brought his own flavor to Deva Singh Sodhi. I don’t think anyone could have played Sodhi with such swag. He was a versatile actor. It’s sad to hear of his passing.”
Related Stories
Rawat had a prolific, multilingual career spanning more than four decades, leaving his mark on television, Hindi cinema and the South Indian film industries. Early in his career, he gained nationwide recognition as Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, in B.R. Chopra’s iconic television series “Mahabharat.”
Rawat broke away from negative roles to play Deva Singh Sodhi, a fiercely loyal former Sikh sepoy, in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated “Lagaan.” He went on to become a sought-after antagonist in Telugu and Tamil cinema. Rawat made his Telugu debut with S.S. Rajamouli’s Telugu film “Sye” (2004), a performance that earned him many accolades.
He later delivered one of his most memorable villainous performances in “Ghajini,” playing the antagonist in both the 2005 Tamil original, starring Suriya, and its blockbuster 2008 Hindi remake starring Aamir Khan.
Over the years, his imposing screen presence and distinctive dialogue delivery saw him work across several Indian film industries, including Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Nepali cinema. His extensive filmography included titles such as “Sarfarosh,” “The Hero: Love Story of a Spy,” “Stalin,” “Rowdy Rathore,” “Veeram,” “1: Nenokkadine,” “Sarrainodu,” “Nene Raju Nene Mantri,” “Aayirathil Iruvar,” “Market Raja MBBS,” “Miss Match,” “Singh Is Bliing,” “Gulu Gulu” and “Chhaava,” among others.
His “Lagaan” co-star Yashpal Sharma and several other members of the film fraternity also paid tribute to the actor, remembering his contribution to Indian cinema.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.