Actor Salman Khan paid a heartfelt tribute to his late co-star Pradeep Rawat, who passed away on Tuesday evening at the age of 74 following a prolonged battle with blood cancer.
Sharing a throwback photograph with Rawat on his Instagram Story, Salman wrote, "Shared many good moments with you brother.. May you rest in peace (sic)." The two actors worked together in Baaghi (1990), Patthar Ke Phool (1991) and Sangdil Sanam (1994).
Several members of the film industry attended Rawat's final rites, including his Lagaan and Ghajini co-star Aamir Khan, director Ashutosh Gowariker, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, and actors Akhilendra Mishra, Raj Arjun, Karan V Grover, Surendra Pal and Ruhanika Dhawan.
Paying tribute to the veteran actor, Yashpal Sharma wrote on August 5, "Pradeep Rawat, our Ghajini, Deva of Lagaan, RIP (sic)."
The All Indian Cine Workers Association also mourned his passing in a post on X, stating, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of veteran Bollywood actor Pradeep Rawat at the age of 74. With his powerful screen presence, he portrayed some of the most unforgettable villainous characters alongside many of Bollywood's legendary comedians and actors. His remarkable performances and immense contribution to Indian cinema will always be remembered and cherished by generations of film lovers (sic)."
Born on January 21, 1952, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Rawat enjoyed a career spanning more than four decades across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and several other regional film industries. He first gained recognition for portraying Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's television epic Mahabharat before delivering memorable performances in films such as Ghajini, Lagaan and Sarfarosh.
Rawat had been battling blood cancer for the past five years. His business manager, Siddharth Tiwari, confirmed that although the actor had initially recovered, the illness returned a few months ago. He had been hospitalised for the past couple of months, and his condition deteriorated in the days leading up to his death on Tuesday evening.
Pradeep Rawat is survived by his wife, Kalyani Rawat, and their son, Vikramaditya.
