India, Aug. 5 -- Actor Pradeep Rawat died at the age of 74 on August 4 after a cancer relapse. The actor, notable for playing villainous roles, first became a household name when he played Ashwatthama in BR Chopra's TV show Mahabharat. But it was his debut in an SS Rajamouli film in the early 2000s that changed his career trajectory.

After a career in Hindi cinema since the 1980s, Pradeep ventured into Telugu cinema with Rajamouli's Nithiin and Genelia D'Souza-starrer Sye in 2004. As the menacing septum-ring-wearing villain who goes up against a bunch of college students, Bikshu Yadav remains ingrained in the minds of many as one of the best antagonists in Tollywood.

The film was a springboard for Pradeep, who soon starred in massively ...