The last rites of “Lagaan” actor Pradeep Rawat, who died at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer, will take place on Wednesday evening here.Known for his performance in popular Hindi films such as “Sarfarosh”, “Lagaan” and “Ghajini” as well as many south Indian movies and television shows, Rawat passed away at a hospital here on Tuesday.“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’,” the actor’s friend Daya Shankar Pandey told PTI.Pandey was referring to the death of actors Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay, Shrivallabh Vyas and Javed Khan Amrohi, who all played key roles in the period cricket drama, fronted by Aamir Khan.Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit shared Rawat’s funeral details in a social media post where he also condoled the actor’s death.“Sad and shocked to know about the demise of our dear friend Pradeep Rawat, a brilliant actor and a wonderful human being due to cancer. A great loss to the industry. My heartfelt condolences to the family and near ones. (sic)“His mortal remains will be kept for final ‘darshan’ today from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Bwing P3 Imperial Heights, Goregaon West. After 4.00pm, he will be taken for the final rites and cremation near the Oshiwara Bridge on SV road, Jogeshwari West,” Pandit shared.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.


