Did You Know? Pradeep Rawat Was a Telugu Son-in-Law… ‘Sye’ Changed Both His Career and His Life

By Surya Prakash Josyula

Pradeep Rawat, the actor who terrified audiences as Bikshu Yadav in Sye, Ghajini Dharmatma in Ghajini, and Deva Singh Sodhi in Lagaan, is no more. But there is one interesting fact that many people don’t know. The veteran actor, who became one of India’s most popular on-screen villains, was actually a son-in-law of a Telugu family.

Born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Pradeep Rawat began his acting career in the 1980s. He first became famous across the country by playing Ashwatthama in B.R. Chopra’s television epic Mahabharat. After that, he appeared in several successful Hindi films, including Sarfarosh, Lagaan, The Hero, and Ghajini. One of the biggest highlights of his career was playing the same villain, Ghajini Dharmatma, in both the Tamil original and its Hindi remake.

However, the biggest turning point in his life came with Sye in 2004. Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, the film introduced him to Telugu audiences as the powerful Bikshu Yadav. His performance won widespread praise and earned him Filmfare, Nandi, and Santosham Awards for Best Villain. After Sye, he became one of the busiest villains in Telugu cinema, acting in films like Chatrapathi, Stalin, Desamuduru, Yogi, Naayak, 1: Nenokkadine, Sarrainodu, Nene Raju Nene Mantri, and Waltair Veerayya.

But Sye did more than change his career. It also changed his personal life.

During the making of the film, he met Kalyani, a model from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Their friendship slowly turned into love. By then, Pradeep Rawat was nearly 50 years old and had never married. He later convinced Kalyani and her family, and the two got married. With that marriage, Pradeep Rawat became a Telugu son-in-law.

Although he played ruthless villains on screen, people who knew him say he was a humble and soft-spoken person in real life. After marrying Kalyani, he developed a close bond with Andhra Pradesh and its people.

Pradeep Rawat and Kalyani had two sons, Vikram Rawat and Singh Rawat. Despite his busy shooting schedule, he always tried to spend quality time with his family.

For movie lovers, Pradeep Rawat will always be remembered as Bikshu Yadav and Ghajini Dharmatma. But for those who knew his personal life, he will also be remembered as a beloved Telugu son-in-law.