Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for his memorable villainous performances in ‘Ghajini’, ‘Lagaan’ and several South Indian blockbusters, passed away at the age of 74 after battling blood cancer. Paying tribute to his longtime co-star, Aamir Khan remembered Rawat as a fearless and deeply committed performer, saying “‘Ghajini’ wouldn’t have worked without him,” while also recalling his unforgettable portrayal of Deva Singh Sodhi in ‘Lagaan’.Aamir Khan remembers a fearless and dedicated performerAamir, who worked with Rawat in two of his most memorable films, ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Ghajini’, recalled him as a committed and fearless performer. Speaking to Variety India, Khan said, “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.”Recalling Rawat’s portrayal of Deva Singh Sodhi in ‘Lagaan’, he adds, “Earlier, in ‘Lagaan,’ he brought his own flavor to Deva Singh Sodhi. I don’t think anyone could have played Sodhi with such swag. He was a versatile actor. It’s sad to hear of his passing.”From ‘Lagaan’ to ‘Ghajini’: A career defined by memorable rolesRawat moved beyond his usual negative roles to portray Deva Singh Sodhi, a fiercely loyal former Sikh sepoy, in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Oscar-nominated ‘Lagaan’. He later emerged as a popular villain in Telugu and Tamil cinema. His Telugu debut came with S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Sye’ (2004), which brought him widespread acclaim. He also left a strong mark as the antagonist in ‘Ghajini’, appearing in both the 2005 Tamil original starring ‘Suriya’ and the hit 2008 Hindi remake led by Aamir Khan.Film fraternity pays tribute to the late actorBefore his passing, his commanding on-screen presence and unmistakable dialogue delivery earned him roles across multiple Indian film industries, including Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Nepali cinema. Over the course of his prolific career, he appeared in a wide range of films such as ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘The Hero: Love Story of a Spy’, ‘Stalin’, ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Veeram’, ‘1: Nenokkadine’, ‘Sarrainodu’, ‘Nene Raju Nene Mantri’, ‘Aayirathil Iruvar’, ‘Market Raja MBBS’, ‘Miss Match’, ‘Singh Is Bliing’, ‘Gulu Gulu’ and ‘Chhaava’, among many others.Yashpal Sharma, who shared the screen with him in ‘Lagaan’, joined several others from the film industry in paying tribute, remembering the late actor’s remarkable contribution to Indian cinema.
