Departures of note

Pradeep Rawat was born on 21 January 1952 and began his acting career on Indian television, gaining early recognition for his portrayal of the mythological character Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra's epic series Mahabharat. His commanding screen presence led him to transition into films across multiple languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada.

Rawat became one of the most recognizable villains in Indian cinema, delivering memorable performances in high‑profile movies such as Lagaan (2001), where he played a British officer, and the action thriller Ghajini (2005), in which he appeared in a dual role. He earned several awards for his antagonistic roles, notably winning the Filmfare Best Villain Award (Telugu) for Sye (2004) and receiving multiple nominations for his work in South Indian films.

Throughout his career, Rawat appeared in over a hundred films and continued to act in television projects. In his later years he battled cancer, and he passed away in Mumbai in 2026 at the age of 74.