Aamir Khan mourns 'Ghajini' co-star Pradeep Rawat
What's the story
Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, who played memorable roles in Hindi and South Indian films, passed away on Tuesday. He was 74. The actor died after a prolonged battle with blood cancer at a hospital in Bhiwandi following a relapse and more than one month of hospitalization. Aamir Khan mourned his co-star in a statement to Variety India.
Tribute
'Most striking screen villains in our cinema'
Aamir Khan, who worked with Rawat in Lagaan and Ghajini, remembered him as a "dedicated and fearless" actor.
He said, "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."
Career
Career: From 'Mahabharat' to 'Lagaan'
Rawat had a prolific career of over four decades, working in television, Hindi cinema, and the South Indian film industries.
He first gained nationwide fame as Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat.
Later, he played Deva Singh Sodhi in Lagaan, a role that set him on the path to becoming a sought-after antagonist in Telugu and Tamil cinema.
Legacy
His extensive filmography and work across Indian film industries
Rawat's imposing screen presence and unique dialogue delivery allowed him to work in several Indian film industries, including Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Bengali, and Nepali cinema.
His extensive filmography includes Sarfarosh, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Stalin, Rowdy Rathore, Veeram, 1: Nenokkadine, Sarrainodu, and Nene Raju Nene Mantri.
His Lagaan co-star Yashpal Sharma also paid tribute to the actor on social media.