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Born into a Sindhi family Raj Kiran Mahtani debuted with B.R. Ishara’s Kaagaz Ki Nao in 1975. Over the next two decades he lit up the screen in over 100 films including Karz Basera Arth Raj Tilak and Ek Naya Rishta. By 1980 he had already acted in eight films in one year earning industry respect and audience love alike. Known for both emotional depth and complex grey-shaded roles Raj was a powerful on-screen presence through the ’70s and ’80s. His stardom was as good as those of Amitabh Bachchan Rishi Kapoor and other stars of that time. When did the storm begin?Though he had a successful run the ’90s weren’t kind. The work dried up. Typecast into side roles and battling dissatisfaction Raj became visibly frustrated. If I can’t do something remarkable in films I’ll leave it altogether he told Sunday Magazine — words that would turn prophetic. Did depression drive him away?Multiple reports suggest Raj Kiran struggled deeply with mental health issues. The fading spotlight and stagnating career weighed heavily. Eventually he stopped showing up — both on screen and in life. His sudden disappearance has remained one of Bollywood’s most tragic unsolved tales. What did his family say?For years his family kept his whereabouts private. His daughter once said He was a private man. But curiosity never faded — fans and colleagues kept asking: Where is Raj Kiran? Rumours flared when actor Rishi Kapoor claimed he went looking for Raj in New York. Allegedly he was told Raj was in a mental institution. Rishi wanted to meet him but his brothers reportedly refused. Actress Deepti Naval also shared a heartfelt post about her efforts to find him confirming the industry hadn’t forgotten.