Tollywood’s Bikshu Yadav Passes Away

Article by Kumar Published on: 9:43 pm, 4 August 2026

Veteran actor Pradeep Rawat, who was known for playing powerful villain roles like Bikshu Yadav in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil films, passed away today evening after suffering a cardiac arrest in Mumbai. He was 74.

Born on January 21, 1952, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Pradeep Rawat built a successful career by portraying memorable negative and supporting characters across multiple film industries.

He first gained recognition on television by playing Ashwatthama in BR Chopra’s iconic TV series Mahabharat.

Rawat made his Hindi film debut with Baaghi, while his first Telugu film was Sye. His performance as the antagonist Bikshu Yadav in Sye earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Villain.

Over the years, he appeared in several popular Hindi films, including Sarfarosh, Lagaan, and Ghajini. In Telugu cinema, he delivered memorable performances in films such as Chatrapathi, Stalin, Nayak, 1: Nenokkadine, Sarainodu, Desamuduru, Rajanna, Poola Rangadu, Baadshah, Soukhyam, Veera, Alludu Seenu, Lion, Ragada, Baladur, and Aadavallu Meeku Joharlu.

His final Telugu film was Gayapadda simham.

Pradeep Rawat’s death marks the end of a remarkable career spanning decades, during which he became one of Indian cinema’s most recognizable screen villains.