On Thursday, the family, friends, and Bollywood colleagues of actor Pradeep Rawat gathered for a prayer meet in Mumbai to remember the actor, who died earlier this week at 74 after a rapid battle with blood cancer. At the prayer meet, the actor’s son, Vikramaditya, broke down as he paid an emotional tribute to his father.
Pradeep Rawat’s son pays tribute
On Thursday, after the prayer meet, Vikramaditya Singh Rawat spoke to news agency ANI, talking about his father’s memories and legacy. “No matter how many words I speak about my father, they will always be less. He was a man of honour and respect. No matter how many times I pray to God, or if God asks me what kind of father I want, I will always take his name,” he said.
Vikramaditya said he wants to carry forward his father’s legacy, just as his father wanted. “He believed, and I believe too, that one day I will make his name proud. I will carry forward his legacy. I want to follow his legacy, and I want to make it even bigger,” he added.
Pradeep Rawat, best known for his titular role as the villain in Ghajini, also appeared in blockbusters like Lagaan. He worked extensively in Telugu and Tamil cinema, in addition to Hindi films, over a career that spanned four decades.
Pradeep Rawat’s colleagues remember him
At the prayer meet, several actors who worked with Pradeep Rawat over the years shared their memories with the late actor. Raghubir Yadav called the loss ‘a big one’ for the industry. “There is a lot of pain, and the film industry has lost a very big actor, a very intelligent actor and a truly talented performer. But he will always live in everyone’s memories. He will always be remembered,” he added.
Mukesh Rishi, who worked with Pradeep Rawat in a number of films, looked back on their long association, which began with Sarfarosh over 26 years ago. “The journey of both of us started with Sarfarosh, where we first met and got to know each other. Later, when I moved to the South, Pradeep also came there. We worked on several films together and got the opportunity to spend a lot of time with each other,” said the actor.
Pradeep Rawat’s family
Pradeep Rawat is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and son Vikramaditya Rawat. The actor was widely known for his performances in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films, with memorable roles in Sarfarosh, Lagaan, Sye, Naayak, Ghajini and most recently Chhaava, where he played Yesaji Kank.
(With ANI inputs)
