3 min readUpdated: Aug 4, 2026 10:12 PM IST
Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for his roles in in Ghajini, Lagaan and B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, has died at the age of 74 after battling cancer.
The news of his demise was first shared by actor Yashpal Sharma, who paid tribute to his longtime colleague with an emotional post on Instagram. He wrote, “Pradeep Rawat Our Gajini Deva of Lagaan RIP.”
Pradeep Rawat’s manager, Siddharth Tiwari, later confirmed that the actor had been undergoing treatment after his cancer returned. Speaking to HT City, Tiwari said, “He was suffering from cancer, and it had relapsed. He has died a few hours back.”
He also revealed that Rawat had been admitted to hospital for over a month. The actor is survived by his wife and son.
From Mahabharat to the big screen
Pradeep Rawat‘s acting career spanned over four decades across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Marathi cinema. Although he made his film debut in early 80s, it was his portrayal of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s iconic television series Mahabharat that made him a household name. For an entire generation of viewers, Rawat became synonymous with the fierce warrior long before he established himself as one of Indian cinema’s most recognisable screen villains.
Rawat went on to carve a niche for himself as one of the industry’s most dependable character actors.
Pradeep Rawat on the sets of Lagaan.
He collaborated with Aamir Khan in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001), where he played Deva Singh, before delivering one of his career-defining performances in A.R. Murugadoss’ Tamil blockbuster Ghajini (2005). His portrayal of the ruthless Ghajini Dharmatma was so widely appreciated that he was among the few actors retained for the 2008 Hindi remake, reprising the same role opposite Aamir Khan.
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A major turning point in his career came with S.S. Rajamouli’s Sye (2004), which marked his Telugu debut. His portrayal of Bikshu Yadav earned him widespread acclaim.
Over the years, Pradeep Rawat enjoyed sustained success across multiple film industries. His extensive filmography included Sarfarosh, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Stalin, Rowdy Rathore, Veeram, 1: Nenokkadine, Loukyam, Nenu Sailaja, Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, Aayirathil Iruvar, Market Raja MBBS and Miss Match.
Even in recent years, the veteran actor remained active, appearing in films such as Waltair Veerayya, Gulu Gulu and Chhaava, alongside projects in Marathi and Nepali cinema.
