Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Veteran Actor Pradeep Rawat Dies at 74 After Cancer Battle
Pradeep Rawat was a famous Indian actor who made movies for more than 40 years.
He was known for playing villains in films like Ghajini and Lagaan.
Sadly, he passed away after being sick with cancer for a long time.
A few years earlier, doctors found that he had six heart blockages, each more than 90 percent blocked.
He had a big heart surgery called a bypass in 2016.
Then, in 2018, doctors told him he had stage 4 cancer.
Even while he was sick, he never gave up and kept working and exercising.
When his family cried, he was the one who comforted them.
He said that not even for a moment did he think he would die.
Many people will remember his acting and his brave attitude for a long time.
Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, known for Ghajini, Lagaan and Sarfarosh, died after battling cancer at the age of 74.
The two reports differ on the date of death: one says August 4, the other says August 5.
In a 2024 podcast interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rawat revealed he had six heart blockages, each more than 90 percent blocked.
He underwent bypass surgery in 2016 and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2018; one report describes the illness as blood cancer.
His four-decade career spanned Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Marathi cinema, including the role of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat.
- Who
- Pradeep Rawat (full name Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat), veteran Indian actor known for Ghajini, Lagaan and Sarfarosh.
- What
- He died after battling cancer, having previously survived six heart blockages, bypass surgery and a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
- When
- The articles conflict: one reports August 4, another reports August 5, described as a Tuesday evening.
- Where
- India; he was undergoing treatment at a cancer hospital in Bhiwandi and had received major treatment at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.
- Why
- His death followed a long battle with cancer, which one report identifies as blood cancer and which was first diagnosed as stage 4 in 2018.
- Actor
- Pradeep Rawat (Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat)
- Age at death
- 74
- Date of death
- August 4 or August 5 (sources differ)
- Cancer
- Stage 4, diagnosed in 2018; described as blood cancer by one report
- Heart blockages
- 6, each more than 90 percent blocked
- Bypass surgery
- 2016
- Treatment locations
- Cancer hospital in Bhiwandi; Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai; Asian Heart Hospital
- Known for
- Ghajini, Lagaan, Sarfarosh, B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat
