Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Updated : November 6, 2025 4:30 PM IST
Kannada Actor Harish Rai, 55, breathed his last at Bengaluru's Kidwai Hospital on Tuesday, after battling cancer. The news was confirmed by multiple media reports on November 6, 2025.
Rai was known for his popular role as Don Rai in the cult classic Om and Chacha in KGF. Reportedly, the 55-year-old actor was suffering from thyroid cancer for the longest time which further spread to his stomach, resulting in his fatality.
The actor has earlier opened up to the media about the expensive treatment associated with thyroid cancer, wherein he revealed that to procedure a single injection, he had to pay rupees 3.55 lakh. He further mentioned that doctors prescribed three injections per cycle over 63 days, with a total estimated cost of around rupees 70 lakh.
Talking about his KGF co-star Yash, the 55-year-old previously said that Yash hasn't yet approached him. In his words, "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."
The thyroid is an important part of your body to help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. A thyroid cancer occurs when cells in your thyroid gland develop a genetic mutation that abnormally grows and forms a tumour.
"Sometimes thyroid cancer spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, and grows there. When cancer does this, it's called metastasis. Even if thyroid cancer spreads to the lungs (or any other place), it's still thyroid cancer," the American Cancer Society states.
According to healtcare providers, thyroid cancer typically does not show any signs. However, as the disease progresses, a person living with the chronic condition may experience symptoms that include a lump or nodule on the neck, increasing hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, and pain in your neck and throat.
