07 November,2025 04:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
L- Harish Rai in KGF; R- Yash with Harish`s son
Veteran Kannada actor Harish Rai passed away on Thursday at the age of 55 after battling stage 4 thyroid cancer for over a year. Rai was best remembered for his role as Chacha in the film KGF, which starred Yash in the lead. Following his demise, Yash visited Rai's home to offer his condolences and was seen placing a floral garland over his mortal remains.
In a video circulating on social media, Yash was seen wearing a white shirt as he arrived with his hands folded. He greeted those present at Rai's residence. Harish's body was kept inside a glass casket, over which Yash placed a flower garland. He was later seen consoling the late actor's son, Roshan, who broke down in tears. Yash held him close and comforted him emotionally.
Harish Rai is fondly remembered for his roles as Don Rai in Om and Chacha in KGF. According to reports, cancer had spread to his stomach, leaving him weak in his final days. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar paid tribute to Rai, calling his death a huge loss for Kannada cinema.
"The passing away of Harish Rai, the renowned villain actor of Kannada cinema, is an extremely sorrowful event. The film industry has become poorer with his death. In films including Om, Hello Yama, KGF, and KGF 2, Harish Rai acted wonderfully and captured everyone's attention. I pray his soul attains peace and that God grants strength to his family and loved ones," he wrote on X.
Earlier, social media influencer Gopi Gowdru had visited the actor and shared a video in which Rai appealed for financial help, revealing that a single injection for his treatment cost Rs 3.55 lakh and each cycle required three injections totaling Rs 10.5 lakh. Some patients, he said, needed up to 20 injections, taking the total to nearly Rs 70 lakh.
Rai had also mentioned that Yash had helped him previously, but that he hadn't approached him recently. "Yash has helped me before. I haven't informed him about my health, but I know if he finds out, he will definitely stand by me. He's just one call away. I've told my family to reach out to him if anything happens to me, because I know he won't turn away," he had said.
Over his career, Harish Rai acted in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu films. His most notable works include Om, Samara, Bangalore Underworld, Jodihakki, Raj Bahadur, Sanju Weds Geetha, Swayamvara, Nalla, and both parts of the KGF series.
