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Indian cinema lost one of its most recognizable villains today, Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat passed away on August 4, 2026, at a hospital in Mumbai at the age of 74. The actor had been undergoing treatment for blood cancer for some time.

A lustrous career spread across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema, Rawat became one of the most recognized negative faces on the cinema known for intense screen presence and negative roles.

What were Pradeep Rawat’s most famous roles?

Pradeep Rawat initially left his mark at the national level Indian television before venturing into Hindi and South regional cinema. The actor got fame for playing the role of Ashwatthama in the epic television series Maharashtra.

If we look at the Hindi film industry, Pradeep Rawat has performed well by acting as the villain Sultan along with Aamir Khan in the movie titled, Sarfarosh. Later on, he also played the character of Deva Singh Sodhi, a tough Sikh cricket player in Lagaan. He went on to cement his name even further through the portrayal of the Ghajini Dharmatma in the movie Ghajini, which was a super hit in both Hindi and Tamil.

In the Hindi film industry, Pradeep Rawat has performed well by acting as the villain Sultan along with Aamir Khan in the movie titled, Sarfarosh. Later on, he portrayed the character of Deva Singh Sodhi, a tough Sikh cricket player in the critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated sports film, Lagaan. He carved his name in pop-culture history through the portrayal of the antagonist Ghajini Dharmatma in the movies Ghajini, which was a super hit in both Hindi and Tamil languages, released by A.R. Murugadoss.

Pradeep Rawat’s family and personal life

In real life, Pradeep Rawat kept a very private persona, far removed from the prying eyes of the media. He was married to Kalyani Rawat, who was his constant source of strength during his multifaceted career and his struggles with illness.

They had a humble family life in Mumbai and left behind two sons – Vikram Rawat and Singh Rawat. In spite of the scary image that he built for himself on screen, Pradeep Rawat’s friends and colleagues always knew him as a very disciplined and soft-spoken family man.

How did his career span multiple film industries?

Born on 21st January 1952 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, he first started his acting career in the mid-1980s and though he began with Hindi movies such as Aitbaar and Agneepath, it is the awe-inspiring physical stature that soon established him as one of the most in-demand villains in South Indian cinema.

Spanning over four decades, he has successfully left his mark in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia films, and even in some recent cross border international productions. In the wake of the news of his death, the members of the film industry in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai expressed profound grief in memory of the disciplined actor who has redefined villainy on celluloid.

The post Who Was Pradeep Rawat? Lagaan And Ghajini Actor Dies At 74 After Cancer Battle appeared first on NewsX.