Raj Kiran Mahtani (born 5 Feb 1949) is a former Indian actor who is recognised for his work in Bollywood. 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.
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) and Raaj Tilak (1984) 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.
Raj Kiran made his debut opposite Sarika in B. R. Ishara's Kaagaz Ki Nao (1975) 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.
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 suppoting roles in films such as Karz (1980), Baseraa (1981), Arth (1982) and Raaj Tilak (1984) 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. 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. 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.
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).
Disappearance
Raj Kiran went into an 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 . . ."
“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
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.
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.
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