Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, who died at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer, was cremated on Wednesday in the presence of family, friends and the team of “Lagaan”, including superstar Aamir Khan and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker.
Known for his performance in popular Hindi films such as “Sarfarosh” and “Ghajini” as well as many south Indian movies and television shows, Rawat passed away at a hospital here on Tuesday.
His last rites were held in Goregaon where his family members, close friends and several colleagues from the film industry gathered to bid him a final goodbye.
Besides Khan and Gowariker, “Lagaan” actors Akhilendra Mishra, Daya Shankar Pandey and Amin Hajee paid their last respects to Rawat before the cremation.
“He was like Amrish Puri in south film industry and had done more than 400 films. Pradeep had a strong personality. Now we have lost another member of the ‘Lagaan Team’,” Pandey told PTI.
He was referring to the death of actors Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay, Shrivallabh Vyas and Javed Khan Amrohi, who all played key roles in the 2001 period cricket drama.
Khan, who faced off against Rawat in A R Murugadoss’ 2008 blockbuster “Ghajini”, recalled the actor’s commitment to his craft.
“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,” Aamir told Variety India.
Rawat rose to stardom with his portrayal of Ashwatthama in “Mahabharat” and later featured in popular TV shows such as “Tehkikaat”, “Chandrakanta” and “Yug”. His other Hindi movie credits include “Agneepath”, “Meri Jung”, “Sarfarosh”, “The Hero: Story of a Spy” and “Chhava”.
In south cinema, he was often awarded for his portrayal of villains, most notably in “Sye”, “Mangala” and “Nayak”. He reprised his negative role in the Hindi remake of Aamir Khan-starrer “Ghajini” after starring in the Tamil version, led by Suriya. PTI RB BK SSG RB RB
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