Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, remembered for memorable performances in ‘Lagaan’, ‘Ghajini’ and B.R. Chopra’s television epic ‘Mahabharat’, passed away at the age of 74 after battling cancer. While his towering screen presence made him one of Indian cinema’s most recognisable villains, the actor had once shared the remarkable story behind landing his breakthrough role in ‘Lagaan’, a role that arrived because of an unexpected late-night phone call from Aamir Khan.
A phone call from Aamir Khan that nobody believed
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, recalling the incident, Pradeep Rawat revealed that the call came late at night when he was not at home. His sister answered the phone, only to hear someone introduce himself as Aamir Khan. Convinced it was a prank, she refused to believe him.“Hello, kyun badmashi kar rahe ho? Kaun bol rahe ho tum?” (Hello, why are you fooling around? Who’s speaking?)Even after the caller insisted, “Ji, main waqai Aamir Khan bol raha hoon. Pradeep ji hain kya?” (Yes, it’s really Aamir Khan. Is Pradeep ji available?) she remained unconvinced.The confusion ended only after Uma Shankar Pathak, who had worked as creative director, co-director and writer on ‘Sarfarosh’, spoke to her and confirmed that it really was Aamir Khan calling.
‘Sarfarosh’ opened door to ‘Lagaan’
Rawat explained that Aamir Khan had been looking for him after watching his performance in ‘Sarfarosh’. Since Aamir did not have the actor’s contact details, he sought Pathak’s help.Pathak then informed Rawat’s family that the actor had to report the very next morning to sign his contract, collect his cheque and leave for the shoot.By the time Rawat returned home around 3 am, he found every light in the house switched on and his family waiting for him.When he asked what had happened, they excitedly told him, “Aamir Khan ka phone aaya tha! Woh tumhe apni agli film mein lena chahte hain.” (Aamir Khan had called! He wants to cast you in his next film)
Mukesh Rishi’s busy schedule changed everything
Rawat also disclosed that he was not the first choice for the role of Deva Singh Sodhi in ‘Lagaan’. According to him, the character was initially offered to Mukesh Rishi, who could not commit because he was occupied with multiple South Indian films.“‘Lagaan’ ke liye lagataar chhe mahine ki dates chahiye thi. Lekin Mukesh ji ek saath kai South films kar rahe the. Ek film ke liye chhe doosri films chhodna aasaan nahi tha.” (Lagaan’ required an uninterrupted six-month schedule. But Mukesh ji was simultaneously working on several South Indian films. It wasn’t easy to give up six other projects for just one film.)With Mukesh Rishi unable to allocate six months for the film, the makers looked for a replacement. Rawat’s portrayal of Sultan in ‘Sarfarosh’ impressed Aamir Khan and the team, eventually earning him the opportunity. Looking back, Rawat often acknowledged how fate worked in his favour.“Agar Mukesh bhai ne ‘Lagaan’ kar li hoti, to na sirf main ‘Lagaan’ se bahut door hota, balki main South ki filmein bhi nahi kar pata.” (If Mukesh bhai had done ‘Lagaan’, not only would I have missed out on the film, but I probably wouldn’t have been able to build my career in South Indian cinema either.)
Deva Singh became one of his most memorable roles
In ‘Lagaan’, Rawat portrayed Deva Singh Sodhi, a fearless Sikh former soldier who joins Bhuvan’s cricket team. The actor fondly remembered performing barefoot in the scorching heat of Bhuj despite having extremely sensitive feet.He also took immense pride in his Punjabi introduction in the film.“Main Deva Singh Sodhi, Bhopur se aaya hoon. Angrezan de naal, angrezan de naal mainu nafrat hai. Main jadon ball phekkan, taan tinnon dandiyaan uda denda haan. Te jadon ball khedan, taan ball nu cheer ke rakh denda haan.” (I am Deva Singh Sodhi from Bhopur. I hate the British. When I bowl, I send all three stumps flying. And when I bat, I smash the ball to pieces)
Pradeep Rawat career that spanned four decades
Pradeep Rawat enjoyed a prolific career across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Marathi cinema. Although he entered films in the early 1980s, it was his portrayal of Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s ‘Mahabharat’ that made him a household name.He later became one of Indian cinema’s most dependable character actors and villains, appearing in acclaimed films such as ‘The Hero: Love Story of a Spy’, ‘Sye’, ‘Stalin’, ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Veeram’, ‘1: Nenokkadine’, ‘Loukyam’, ‘Nenu Sailaja’, ‘Sarrainodu’, ‘Nene Raju Nene Mantri’, ‘Aayirathil Iruvar’, ‘Market Raja MBBS’, ‘Miss Match’, ‘Waltair Veerayya’, ‘Gulu Gulu’ and ‘Chhaava’.His performance as Ghajini Dharmatma in the Tamil blockbuster ‘Ghajini’ was so impactful that he reprised the same role in its Hindi remake opposite Aamir Khan.
Tributes pour in for Pradeep Rawat
The news of Rawat’s demise was first shared by actor Yashpal Sharma, who paid tribute on Instagram, writing, “Pradeep Rawat Our Gajini Deva of Lagaan RIP.”His manager, Siddharth Tiwari, later confirmed that the veteran actor had been battling cancer following a relapse and had been hospitalised for more than a month. Rawat is survived by his wife and son, leaving behind a cinematic legacy built on unforgettable performances and one life-changing phone call that altered the course of his career forever.