Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, best known for his performances in Ghajini, Lagaan and the television epic Mahabharat, died on Tuesday evening while undergoing treatment for cancer. He was 74.

Rawat breathed his last at around 6 pm. He had initially been admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai before being shifted to a cancer hospital in Bhiwandi around 10 days ago for further treatment. He is survived by his wife and son, Vikramaditya.

Yashpal Sharma pays tribute

Actor Yashpal Sharma paid tribute to Pradeep Rawat through a post on his Instagram handle following the veteran actor’s demise.

Career spanning more than three decades

Pradeep Rawat built a successful acting career across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema over more than three decades.

He gained widespread recognition for portraying the ruthless antagonist in the 2005 Tamil film Ghajini. The performance earned him the opportunity to reprise the same role alongside Aamir Khan in the Hindi remake released in 2008.

Before Ghajini, Rawat had shared screen space with Aamir Khan in the 2001 film Lagaan.

Many television viewers also remember him for portraying Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, in BR Chopra’s iconic television series Mahabharat. Although he made his film debut with Meri Jung in 1985, the television role brought him widespread recognition.

Memorable performances across languages

Throughout his career, Rawat appeared in several notable films, including Sarfarosh, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Stalin, Veeram, 1: Nenokkadine, Loukyam, Nenu Sailaja, Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, Aayirathil Iruvar, Market Raja MBBS and Miss Match.

A significant milestone came with SS Rajamouli’s Sye (2004), which marked his debut in Telugu cinema.

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his Chennai residence on Tuesday after his remarks about actor Trisha at a public rally sparked a political controversy.

The arrest comes a day after comments made by the DMK leader during a protest meeting in Thanjavur drew criticism from political parties, leading to complaints and demands for legal action.

Udhayanidhi calls arrest a ‘joke’

Udhayanidhi Stalin was seen smiling as police escorted him from his residence following the arrest. Speaking briefly, he described the police action as a “joke” and said he would challenge it through legal means.

Controversy began during Thanjavur rally

The controversy began during a protest gathering over the Cauvery water dispute in Thanjavur on Monday.

While criticising Chief Minister Joseph Vijay over the state’s water concerns, members of the crowd shouted actor Trisha’s name. Udhayanidhi paused his speech and responded with what critics described as an offensive double entendre, triggering widespread backlash.

DMK alleges political vendetta

The DMK criticised the arrest and alleged that it was politically motivated.

Party leader TKS Elangovan said Udhayanidhi had only highlighted the Chief Minister’s failures and had neither insulted anyone nor mentioned Trisha by name. According to the party, the arrest amounts to political vendetta.

TVK defends action, says issue is about insulting a woman

Rejecting the DMK’s allegations, TVK leader Americai Narayanan said the arrest was not linked to criticism of the Chief Minister or the party.

According to him, the action was taken because Udhayanidhi allegedly insulted a woman through his remarks. He also criticised the DMK leader over the controversy.

Earlier, TVK had submitted a complaint to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Udhayanidhi Stalin. The party also filed a police complaint.

In its complaint, TVK alleged that Udhayanidhi used offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure. The party further stated that such remarks normalise the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces.

BJP also demanded arrest

The Tamil Nadu BJP had also demanded Udhayanidhi Stalin’s arrest over the remarks.

State BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the comments as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful” and said legal action against the DMK leader would be appropriate.

Similar controversy in the past

The controversy has once again brought attention to repeated public remarks involving actor Trisha in political debates.

According to the source, since rumours about Vijay and Trisha’s relationship surfaced, political and film personalities have made comments about the actor on multiple occasions.

Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran had remarked that Vijay should “come out of Trisha’s house” before entering politics. Trisha’s legal team had responded to those comments at the time.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has approached the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over his remarks about actor Trisha during a public rally in Thanjavur.

Describing the comments as “deeply troubling and offensive”, the party alleged that the former deputy chief minister used objectionable language targeting a woman from a public platform. TVK has also announced plans to hold statewide protests over the issue.

TVK alleges remarks objectified a woman

The controversy stems from a protest meeting on the Cauvery water dispute held in Thanjavur on Monday. During his address, Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, alleging that Tamil Nadu had not received Cauvery water while the chief minister remained unconcerned.

According to TVK, the meeting took a controversial turn after members of the audience chanted actor Trisha’s name. The party alleged that Udhayanidhi responded with an offensive double entendre, triggering widespread criticism.

In its complaint to the NCW, TVK said the remarks amounted to “offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos” directed at a prominent female public figure. The party argued that such language from a senior political leader normalises the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces.

Party demands apology and legal action

TVK urged the NCW to take cognisance of the incident and issue a notice to Udhayanidhi Stalin, stating that the remarks were inconsistent with the standards of decorum expected from public representatives.

The party also demanded an unconditional public apology from the DMK leader for what it described as objectifying and vulgar rhetoric. In addition, TVK called for a police case to be registered against him, alleging that the remarks outraged the modesty of women.

Political reactions intensify

The incident drew strong reactions from both TVK and the BJP.

TVK MLA Rhevanth Charan described the remarks as “absolutely disgusting”, saying such comments reflected a decline in political standards and were unacceptable.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy also criticised Udhayanidhi Stalin, calling the remarks “disgusting, obscene, vulgar and shameful”. He further demanded that legal action be taken against the Leader of Opposition.

Earlier controversy involving Trisha

The latest episode comes amid previous controversies involving actor Trisha in political discourse. Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran had remarked that Chief Minister Joseph Vijay should “come out of Trisha’s house” before entering politics. Trisha’s legal team had responded to those comments at the time.