- By Sidhi Agarwall
- Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:50 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Veteran Indian actor Pradeep Singh Rawat, best known for playing iconic villainous roles in Indian cinema, passed away on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at the age of 74. The actor died in Mumbai following a prolonged battle with blood cancer.
His manager, Siddharth Tiwari, confirmed the news of his demise, stating: "He passed away today, August 4 somewhere between 6 to 6 30 pm. He survived cancer four years back, but again, since the last one and a half months, it was a relapse of cancer. So, he was hospitalised since one month. That's how it is. All of a sudden, his platelets went down and from there, he just couldn't recover."
Ghajini Actor Pradeep Singh Rawat Dies At 74 After Battle With Blood Cancer
The news of his death was shared on social media by his Lagaan co-star, Yashpal Sharma. Paying tribute to the late actor, Yashpal Sharma posted, "Pradeep Rawat, our Ghajini, Deva of Lagaan, RIP".
Following the announcement, tributes poured in from across the Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Nepali film industries. Nepali actress Vipana Thapa, who worked alongside Rawat in the Nepali films Aabaat Aama and Aabaat Aama-2, expressed deep sorrow on social media after learning about his passing at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai.
Pradeep Singh Rawat built a career spanning nearly four decades across various language film industries. He first gained widespread national fame by playing the role of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's legendary television series Mahabharat.
He went on to deliver memorable performances in hit Hindi films such as Sarfarosh, Lagaan, and Ghajini. His portrayal of the main antagonist Ghajini Dharmatma in both the Tamil original and the 2008 Hindi remake of Ghajini remains one of the most recognised villain roles in modern Indian cinema. In Lagaan, he displayed his versatility by playing Deva, the fiercely loyal Sikh sepoy.
Rawat also appeared in several South Indian films, including S.S. Rajamouli's "Sye", as well as recent Nepali film projects such as Hraswa Deergha.
Rawat is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and his son, Vikramaditya. His funeral is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.