Veteran actor Harish Rai, known for his performances in films like Om and the KGF series, succumbed to cancer on Thursday. He was 55 years old. His death has left the South Indian film industry in grief as he left behind a career that spanned decades.
Harish Rai had shared the struggles he was facing with cancer treatment and its high cost. The Times of India, citing a Pinkvilla report, wrote that the actor revealed one injection costs Rs 3.55 lakh, and several cycles led to almost Rs 70 lakh. He remained hopeful and was looking forward to returning to acting. As per the Times of India report, during a previous public interaction with social media influencer Gopi Gowdru, Harish Rai opened up about his health struggles and expressed his hope of returning to acting after recovery.
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Acknowledging the support he had received from KGF star Yash, Rai had said, “Yash has helped me before. I cannot keep asking him every time. How much can one person do? I haven’t informed him about my health, but I know if he comes to know, he will definitely stand by me. He is just one call away, though he is busy with his upcoming film Toxic. I’ve told my family and sons to reach out to him if anything happens to me, because I know he won’t turn away.”
Karnataka deputy CM pays tribute
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar condoled Rai’s death on X (formerly Twitter) as he also stressed Rai’s contribution to cinema. “The passing away of Harish Roy, the renowned villain actor of Kannada cinema, is an extremely sorrowful event. The film industry has become poorer with the death of Harish Roy, who was suffering from cancer. In films including Om, Hello Yama, as well as KGF and KGF 2, Harish Roy had acted wonderfully and attracted everyone's attention. I pray that his soul attains peace and that God grants strength to his family and loved ones, who are in pain from his departure, to bear the sorrow. Om Shanti," he wrote on X.
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Memorable roles in Kannada and South Indian cinema
Rai was a known face in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films. He first achieved widespread fame as Don Rai, a cult classic in Kannada movies. Later, he gained rave reviews for his role of Chacha in KGF and KGF 2. Throughout his career, some of the films he acted in were Samara, Bangalore Underworld, Jodihakki, Raj Bahadur, Sanju Weds Geetha, Swayamvara, and Nalla, which form part of his long filmography.
