SAD NEWS: Beloved Actor D!es After A Month In Hospital, With Cause Of D3ath Under Police Investigation
Beloved actor Pradeep Rawat has died after a battle with cancer (Image: Getty)
Award-winning actor Pradeep Rawat died on Tuesday August 4 at the age of 74. The news was confirmed by actor Yashpal Sharma, who paid tribute to his longtime colleague with an emotional post on Instagram. “Pradeep Rawat Our Gajini Deva of Lagaan, RIP,” he wrote.
The star had previously been diagnosed with stomach cancer, but had subsequently been given the all-clear, and according to his manager Siddharth Tiwari he was healthy until earlier this year. He confirmed that the actor had relapsed recently and had been undergoing treatment. “In May, he had some discomfort, and he started losing a lot of weight. Then, again, we had tests which confirmed blood cancer this time. In July, on a gastroenterologist’s advice, he was admitted for 2-3 weeks in Kokilaben. He was then shifted to a cancer speciality hospital in Bhiwandi for about 10 days for treatment of blood cancer,” he confirmed.
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“Unfortunately, his platelet count dropped to 6,000 per microlitre… very low. His white blood cells had shot up, and his immune system had become very weak, and he died,” he told Indianexpress.com.
The star’s son Vikramaditya gave further insight into his final moments during the actor’s last rites. Speaking to assembled media, he revealed: “We rushed outside the ICU. All the doctors were inside. I opened the door and saw them giving him CPR. That’s when I understood. Then my mum started crying. That’s it.”
The star’s acting career spanned over four decades across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Marathi cinema.
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He made his film debut in the early 80s, but became a household name playing Ashwatthama in the iconic television series Mahabharat. His most recent screen appearance was this year in the film Aa Bata Aama.
Pradeep Rawat had been in hospital for a month prior to his death (Image: Getty)
He was a hugely popular screen villain and won numerous awards for his menacing performances, including the Filmfare Best Villain Award (Telugu) Santosham Best Villain Award, and the Nandi Award for Best Villain for his role as Bikshu Yadav in Sye in 2004.
Tributes flooded in for the star as news of his death became public knowledge. One former co-star penned: ” I’ve had the greatest privilege of working with this fine artist…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.”
Another added: “Got an opportunity to work with you in 2 films in a row… Your absence will always be a heartfelt tribute to the film industry Pradeep, rest in peace Pradeep Rawat.”
Meanwhile, a fan chimed in: “First, I saw him in Lagaan, where he delivered a truly mind-blowing performance. Then I watched him in a South Indian film, and once again, he completely owned the screen. A truly versatile actor. Sad that he’s no longer with us.” Another shared: “Tragic indeed. Who can forget his famous dialogue, ‘time memory loss’ in Gajini. His role was very terrifying and close to reality as a vicious underworld goon. RIP.”
