- Actor Pradeep Rawat, known for Ghajini, died at age 74 in Mumbai hospital
- Rawat played the antagonist in both Tamil and Hindi versions of Ghajini
- He gained fame as Ashwatthama in BR Chopra's TV series Mahabharat
Actor Pradeep Rawat died on Tuesday evening at around 6 pm while undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 74.
The actor was initially admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai before being shifted to a cancer hospital in Bhiwandi around 10 days ago for further treatment. He is survived by his wife and his son, Vikramaditya.
Actor Yashpal Sharma paid a tribute to Rawat via his Instagram handle.
Rawat was a familiar face in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, with a career that spanned more than three decades.
He was widely recognised for playing the ruthless antagonist in the Tamil film Ghajini (2005). His performance was so well received that he was brought back to play the same role opposite Aamir Khan in the 2008 Hindi remake.
He had also worked with Aamir Khan earlier in Lagaan (2001).
Many viewers first came to know Rawat through BR Chopra's iconic television series Mahabharat, in which he played Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya.
Although he had made his film debut with Meri Jung in 1985, it was his role in Mahabharat that brought him widespread recognition.
His filmography includes Sarfarosh, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Stalin, Veeram, 1: Nenokkadine, Loukyam, Nenu Sailaja, Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, Aayirathil Iruvar, Market Raja MBBS and Miss Match.
A major milestone in his career came with SS Rajamouli's Sye (2004), which marked his Telugu debut.