Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for his roles in ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Ghajini’, passed away at age 74 after battling cancer, leaving the film industry in mourning as colleagues and co-stars paid tribute. Soon after, tributes poured in from across the industry. Thakur Anoop Singh also took to social media to mourn the passing of his ‘Achari America Yatra’ co-star and express his grief.
Thakur Anoop Singh’s emotional tribute to late Pradeep Rawat
Thakur Anoop Singh, who worked alongside Pradeep Rawat in ‘Achari America Yatra’ and ‘Dharmarakshak Mahaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’, shared a heartfelt note along with a photograph from their time on set. He wrote, “Pradeep Rawat sir, I’ve had the greatest privilege of working with this fine artist. From watching you play Ashwatthama as a child in 1990, to growing up watching you as ‘Ghajini’, to playing your son in ‘Achari America Yatra’ or your enemy in Dharmarakshak Chh. Sambhaji Maharaj, off the camera, you have only been a guiding light and an inspiration to fight with life’s battles.”He further added, “Those who know you know what a journey you have had, & I shall always cherish our memories and learnings from you! You lived like a lion; now rest in peace. Thank you for entertaining the world. Om shanti.”
Yashpal Sharma confirms the news
The news of Pradeep Rawat’s passing was shared by his long-time colleague and Lagaan co-star Yashpal Sharma, who wrote an emotional tribute on social media that read, “Pradeep Rawat, Our Gajini, Deva of Lagaan, RIP.”Pradeep Rawat is survived by his wife and son, Vikramaditya.
More about Pradeep Rawat
During a career of more than 30 years, Pradeep Rawat worked across multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. He made his acting debut in the 1985 Bollywood film ‘Meri Jung’, where he played the role of a police inspector.Some of his other notable projects include ‘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’.Pradeep Rawat was last seen in the Hindi film ‘Chhaava’, an epic historical action drama based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, played by Vicky Kaushal. Based on the Marathi novel ‘Chhava’ by Shivaji Sawant, the film also starred Akshaye Khanna and Rashmika Mandanna.