Raj Kiran (actor)

Raj Kiran Mahtani (born 5 February 1949) is a former Indian actor who is recognised for his work in Bollywood.[1][2][3] Born in a Sindhi family in Mumbai, he made his debut opposite Sarika in B. R. Ishara's Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975) and achieved the crest of his career in the 1980s, having appeared in more than 100 films.[4]

Raj Kiran
Raj Kiran in the late 1970s
Born (1949-02-05) 5 February 1949
Bombay, Bombay State, India
StatusMissing
CitizenshipIndian
OccupationActor
Years active1975–2002
Notable work
Kaagaz Ki Nao
Karz
Baseraa
Arth
Raaj Tilak
Waaris
Ek Naya Rishta
Hip Hip Hurray
Spouse(s)Kathija Nachiyar Roopa Mahtani
RelativesRishika (daughter)
Govind Mahtani (brother)
Ajit Mahtani (brother)

Throughout his career, he accepted leading as well as supporting roles. He was loved for his leading roles in films such as Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975), Shikshaa (1979), Maan Abhiman (1980) and Ek Naya Rishta (1988) as well as being appreciated for his supporting roles in films such as Karz (1980), Baseraa (1981), Arth (1982), Raaj Tilak (1984), and Waaris (1988) to name a few. He was often typecasted as a romantic as well as kind-hearted hero, which was considered as his most loved image by viewers.

He disappeared from the industry and was thought to be living as a recluse in USA for many years. Rishi Kapoor was reportedly told by Govind Mehtani, the brother of Raj Kiran that the actor was in Atlanta in an asylum where he was living due to a mental illness. In 2011, his daughter issued a public statement negating the reports of Raj Kiran being found in Atlanta. She and her family have been looking for him with the assistance of New York police and private detectives for the last eight years.

Career

Raj Kiran made his debut opposite Sarika in B. R. Ishara's Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975)[5] and had the major flow in his career in the 1980s. In 1980, he hit the theatre with his successive eight releases — Karz, Bambai Ka Maharaja, Maan Abhiman, Manokamnaa, Nazrana Pyar Ka, Patita, Saajan Mere Main Saajan Ki and Yeh Kaisa Insaaf.[6]

Throughout his career, he accepted leading as well as supporting roles. He was loved for his leading roles in films such as Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975), Shikshaa (1979), Maan Abhiman (1980) and Ek Naya Rishta (1988) as well as appreciated for his supporting roles in films such as Karz (1980), Baseraa (1981), Arth (1982) and Raaj Tilak (1984) to name a few.[7]

He was often typecasted as a romantic as well as kind hearted hero which was considered as his most loved image by viewers.[4][8] Sometimes his roles were apparently flawed but at the end they turned out to be generous. His role as Gopal in Justice Chaudhury (1983) abandons his wife to blackmail his father-in-law, but it is later revealed that he has been trapped into doing so.[9] In his role as the womanizer and alcoholic businessman Rajiv Tandon in Ek Naya Rishta (1988) he falls in love with a sex worker and marries her.[10][11][12]

Since the beginning of 1990s, his career began to slow down. Further, he made his television debut in the Shekhar Suman starrer, much acclaimed TV series Reporter (1994).[13]

Disappearance

Raj Kiran went into acute depression after his career had taken a backseat. Reportedly, the actor also went through a series of domestic crises. Later, he was admitted to Byculla Mental asylum in Mumbai. He disappeared from the industry and was thought to be living as a recluse in America for many years. Deepti Naval endeavoured to look for the missing actor through Facebook writing on her timeline, "Looking for a friend from the film world his name is Raj Kiran - we have no news of him - last heard he was driving a cab in NY city if anyone has any clue, please tell . . ."[14]

“I’ve been wondering where Raj had disappeared. The question was haunting me for a very long time. Then these rumours of Raj being no more began doing the rounds. I was really disturbed. How can a colleague with whom I shared a really good times, just vanish from the face of earth? I decided to look up Raj’s elder brother Govind Mahtani to find out about Raj. I was so relieved when Govind told me that Raj was alive. But he was confined to an institution in Atlanta due to health problems. ... apparently, he looks after his own treatment by working within the institution. It’s a heart-rending situation for an actor who was so successful at one time.”

- Rishi Kapoor on Raj Kiran’s disappearance[15]

In June, 2011, Rishi Kapoor, on a trip to USA made a phone call to the missing actor's brother Govind Mahtani, who told him that the actor was in Atlanta in an asylum where he was living due to a mental illness. He refused to give any more details.[16][17][18][15][14][12]

In 2011, his daughter Rishika issued a public statement negating the reports of Raj Kiran being found in Atlanta. She and her family have been looking for him with the assistance of New York police and private detectives for the last eight years.[19][20]

Filmography

Television
  • Reporter (1994)
  • Aakhir Kaun (1996)
  • Aahat (1997–98)
gollark: Then you are not an idiot. You win a melon! 🍈
gollark: Anyone who disagrees with me is always an idiot.
gollark: It seems kind of hypocritical of you to simultaneously go "destroy the existing regime violently" and "we need a new form of government which will deal with this sort of thing very harshly and not really allow change".
gollark: Isn't a violent protest or whatever the sort of thing the authoritarian regimes you like try to stop/deal with very harshly?
gollark: So the general principle is "only obey governments I like"?

References
  1. "Raj Kiran - BollywoodMDB". www.bollywoodmdb.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  2. "Raj Kiran movies, filmography, biography and songs - Cinestaan.com". Cinestaan. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  3. After Raj Kiran, we find the memories - Times Of India. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (1 June 2011). Retrieved on 30 May 2013.
  4. "Bygone Stars of Eighties". www.koimoi.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  5. User, Super. "Kagaz Ki Nao". osianama.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  6. "Raj Kiran Filmography, Raj Kiran List Of Movies On Gomolo.com". gomolo.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  7. "The Strange Tale of Hindi Film Actor Raj Kiran – Lost and Found". Bollykings. 4 June 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  8. "Actor Raj Kiran Still Missing! Family Orders Rishi Kapoor and Deepti Naval To Back Off!!". www.spotboye.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  9. "Justice Chowdhury (1983) - Cinestaan.com". Cinestaan. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  10. "Ek Naya Rishta (1988) - Cinestaan.com". Cinestaan. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. "Raj Kiran finds a well-wisher in Sushma Swaraj". Rediff. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  12. Khanna, Riddhima (19 February 2014). "5 film stars who burned into oblivion". Kindle Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  13. "Reporter (Old Doordarshan TV Serial)". Free Online India. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  14. "This Famous 80s Bollywood Star Went From Being A Heartthrob To A Taxi Driver And Finally Has Ended Up In A Metal Asylum". dailybhaskar. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  15. "Actor Raj Kiran in mental asylum - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  16. Rishi to help Raj Kiran return to B-town. Hindustan Times (3 June 2011). Retrieved on 30 May 2013. Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  17. 'Raj Kiran is okay wherever he is' - Rediff.com Movies. Rediff.com (6 June 2011). Retrieved on 30 May 2013.
  18. Actor Raj Kiran found in mental asylum in US. Ibnlive.in.com (1 June 2011). Retrieved on 30 May 2013.
  19. "We just want people to back off: Raj Kiran's daughter - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  20. My dad's still missing: Raj Kiran's daughter. NDTV, 12 July 2011. Archived 20 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
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