Bollywood has witnessed many unsolved mysteries over the years. While some stars have faded from public memory, others have disappeared under circumstances that remain unexplained. One such incident is of an actor Raj KiranBest remembered for her performances in ‘Karz’ and ‘Earth’. Despite being missing for more than two decades, her family continues to search for her in hopes of uncovering what happened.Raj Kiran started his acting career in 1975 with ‘Kagaj Ki Nao’. He later acted in the political satire ‘Kisa Kursi Ka’, which was banned during the Emergency. However, it was Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karj’ starring Rishi Kapoor that brought him widespread recognition. He further established himself with his acclaimed performances Mahesh BhattIts ‘meaning’ as well Shabana Azmi. Throughout the 1980s, Raj enjoyed a steady run in Bollywood, but his career slowed in the 1990s, with significant lead roles becoming increasingly rare.In 1996, Raj found himself in the headlines for reasons unrelated to cinema. Reports claimed that he was arrested for trespassing at the Puttaparthi Sai Baba Ashram. He reportedly hired a tractor and a ladder to enter the premises at night. He was later granted bail, with his father securing his release.A year later, Raj spoke to CineBlitz about the emotional pain of spending more than a month in jail. Looking back on the experience, he said, “The trauma I faced while in jail was indescribable. The fear one feels, you will never understand, when you are told that you cannot get bail. I spent 34 days in jail and sitting there, I was not sure if I would ever be free. It was a very scary feeling.”During his years in the film industry, Raj married Roopa and the couple had two daughters, Ishika Mahtani and Mannat Mahtani. As acting opportunities dwindled, Raj fell into depression, which affected his personal life as well. He eventually moved to the United States and stayed in touch with his family for a while. However, according to his daughter, all contact has ceased and he has not been seen since 2003.His family maintains that Raj was struggling with mental health issues before his disappearance. film maker Mahesh Bhatt, who directed him in ‘Earth’, recalled once meeting Raj at Mumbai’s Masina Hospital, where he was undergoing psychiatric treatment. Speaking to Rediff, Bhatt said, “Many years ago when he was in the mental ward of Masina Hospital. He was not the Raj Kiran I interacted with. He was a sad-looking, depressed person and he interacted with me with great difficulty. There was no joie de vivre, no energy which he exuded; every time he met our friends.“At one point, Raj was advised to be admitted to a mental health institution in Atlanta. Subhash K. Speaking to Jha, Rishi Kapoor, who worked with Raj in ‘Karj’, said he got the information from Raj’s brother.“I was very relieved when Govinda told me that Raj was alive. But due to health problems he was confined to an institution in Atlanta.” However, those claims were later disputed by Raj’s family. In 2011, his daughter Rishika Mahtani clarified that there was no confirmation that her father was undergoing treatment in Atlanta. He said the family could not locate him and continued to search for him. Despite acknowledging that Raj was dealing with mental health issues before he went missing, the family has not given up hope of finding him.
