Actor Rajiv, Raj Kapoor’s youngest son, dies at 58

Actor Rajiv Kapoor, best remembered as the hero of the blockbuster

Ram Teri Ganga Maili

(1985), directed by his father the great Raj Kapoor, passed away following a heart attack in Mumbai on Tuesday. He was 58. The 1980s saw a profusion of star sons launched into filmdom. Rajiv belonged to the same bunch.

Unlike his elder brothers, Randhir and Rishi, he wasn’t introduced in a home production. Rajiv made his debut with Ek Jaan Hain Hum (1983) under FC Mehra’s Eagle Films. He oozed a natural flamboyance. Post-Ek Jaan Hain Hum, he acted in a clutch of duds: Ravindra Peepat’s Lava, Nasir Hussain’s Zabardast and Shomu Mukherjee’s Lover Boy. He seemed unable to carve out a distinct personality that creates a steady fan base.