Harish Rai dies: When KGF actor opened up about cancer treatment costs, Rs 3 Lakh injection

Kannada actor Harish Rai is no more. Kannada actor Harish Rai, best known for his role in the Yash-starrer KGF, passed away on Thursday (October 6) at the age of 55 after battling stage 4 thyroid cancer for over a year.

The veteran actor was undergoing treatment at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengaluru.

KGF actor Harish Rai dies at 55

Veteran Kannada actor has been suffering from a deadly disease reportedly from 2022. According to reports, Rai's health deteriorated despite undergoing chemotherapy; the disease had reportedly spread to his stomach and other organs. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

Earlier this month, Harish Rai had spoken publicly about the heavy medical expenses involved in his treatment. He revealed that a single injection cost ₹3.55 lakh, and he was prescribed three injections per cycle, amounting to around ₹10.5 lakh per cycle.

In a career spanning several decades, the 55-year-old actor worked across multiple languages, including Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu.

Apart from the KGF franchise, Rai appeared in numerous films such as Bangalore Underworld, Samara, Raj, Sanju Weds Geetha, Swayamvara, and Nalla.

Following the news of his demise, tributes poured in from across the film fraternity and political figures.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed his condolences on X, writing:

“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 the death of Harish Roy, who was suffering from cancer,” Shivakumar wrote in Kannada on X.

He further added, “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 to bear this loss. Om Shanti.”