Bollywood has witnessed some unsolved mysteries over the years. While some stars fade from public memory, others disappear under circumstances that remain unexplained. The example of actors is one such example Raj Kiranmost memorable for his performances in “Karz” and “Arth”. Despite being missing for more than two decades, his family is still searching for him in the hope of finding out what happened.Raj Kiran started his acting career in 1975 with “Kaagaz Ki Nao”. He later starred in the political satire Kissa Kursi Ka, which was banned during the Emergency. However, it was Subhash Ghai’s Rishi Kapoor-starrer Karz that brought him widespread recognition. He further established himself with his outstanding performance Mahesh Bhattnext to “art” Shabana Azmi. Throughout the 1980s, Raj developed steadily in Bollywood, but his career slowed down in the 1990s, with him playing fewer and fewer major leading roles.In 1996, Raj found himself making headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with the movie. According to reports, he was arrested for allegedly trespassing at Puttaparthi Sai Baba Ashram. He reportedly hired a tractor and a ladder to gain access to the premises at night. He was later granted bail and his father secured his release.A year later, Raj spoke to Cineblitz about the emotional toll of spending more than a month in jail. Looking back on the experience, he said: “The trauma I faced while in prison is indescribable. You can never understand the fear when you are told you can’t bail. I spent 34 days in jail and I was not sure if I would ever get free. It was a very scary feeling.”While working in the film industry, Raj married Roopa and the couple had two daughters: Rishika Mahtani and Mannat Mahtani. As acting opportunities dwindled, Raj reportedly fell into depression, which also affected his personal life. He eventually moved to the United States and remained in contact with his family for some time. However, according to his daughter, all communications ceased and she has not seen him since 2003.His family insists Raj had been struggling with mental health issues before his disappearance. film producer Mahesh Bhatt, who directed “Als”, once recalled visiting Raj at Masina Hospital in Mumbai, where he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. Butt told Rediff: “Many years ago, when he was in the psych ward at Masina Hospital. He was not the Raj Kiran I had come across. He was a sullen, depressed man who was difficult for me to interact with. He had no joie de vivre, no energy that he exuded every time he saw us (his friends).”“At one point it was reported that Raj had been sent to a mental health facility in Atlanta. Rishi Kapoor, who has worked with Raj in “Karz”, said in an interview with Subhash K. Jha that he received the information from Raj’s brother.“I was very relieved when Govind told me that Raj was alive. But due to health issues, he was confined to an institution in Atlanta.” However, these claims were later disputed by Raj’s family. In 2011, his daughter Rishika Mahtani clarified that there was no confirmation that her father was receiving treatment in Atlanta. The family has been unable to find him and continues to search for him, she said. While acknowledging that Raj had been dealing with mental health issues before his disappearance, the family never gave up hope of finding him.
