Bollywood star Aamir Khan pays tribute to Pradeep Rawat

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Aamir Khan paid tribute to veteran actor Pradeep Rawat following his death, praising his fearless performances and saying his portrayal of the villain in Ghajini was instrumental to the film’s success.

In a statement, Khan said Rawat approached every role with complete dedication and courage, adding that his performance in Ghajini remains one of Indian cinema’s most memorable villain portrayals.

“I believe the film became such a success because of Pradeep’s character. Without his performance, Ghajini might not have achieved the same level of success,” Khan said.

Rawat, who died Tuesday at the age of 74, had been battling cancer and was undergoing treatment in hospital for more than a month, according to Indian media reports.

The veteran actor began his film career in 1985 and appeared in numerous Hindi and regional-language films and television dramas. He shared the screen with leading actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Babbar and Vinod Khanna, and also worked with Aamir Khan in Lagaan and Ghajini.