Shabana Azmi wishes recovery for 'colleague' Raj Kiran

Actress Shabana Azmi, who acted alongside yesteryear actor Raj Kiran in the 1982 film Arth, today said that she was hopeful that he would recover from his mental illness.

"I was very saddened to learn about Raj Kiran - who has been my colleague - having been found in the mental asylum in Atlanta (US)," Azmi said talking to reporters here.

"I met him several years ago, when he was in a mental institution in Mumbai. And when I met him, after a little bit of confusion, he did have a spark of lucidity. And we had a nice warm conversation, and I believed that time he is on his way to recovery."

"I would like to state here that there is a stigma attached to mental illness, which is very sad. Because mental illness, like a physical illness, can be cured with drugs. And I do hope that Raj Kiran will come back to recovery", she said.

"As far as the film industry is concerned, there has been a sense of shock for all those who were not aware of his condition," she said.