Lived & died lonely, finally the body is claimed

In Pakeezah, Geeta Kapoor played the role of Rajkumar’s second wife while Meena Kumari featured in the lead role.

Pakeezah actor Geeta Kapoor died at 57 last week at a Mumbai hospital. Abandoned by her son, Raja, and daughter, Aradhya, she depended on the help of film producers Ashoke Pandit and Ramesh Taurani. Her daughter, an air hostess, who never visited her mother, came to the hospital to claim the body after the news of Geeta’s death came out.  Aradhya also claimed being unaware that her mother was ailing. In fact, it was Raja who had abandoned his mother in the hospital a few months ago , and there was no news of him till now. Central Board of Film Certification member Ashoke Pandit tweeted that neither he nor the members of the old age home, who looked after the late actress in her final days, were informed about the cremation. “The daughter and sisters of late actress Geeta Kapoor ji performed her last rites, late last night. Even though Dr Tripathi, old age home sisters, Archana Shourie and I had requested them to inform us so that we, who stood by her pain, are part of her last journey. But they didn’t. Sad,” he said. After Geeta Kapoor was abandoned by her children last year. Pandit had helped her with the hospital bills. Geeta Kapoor’s son left her in a hospital in May 2017 on the pretext of withdrawing cash from an ATM but he never returned. Ashoke Pandit learnt about her situation from a newspaper article and came to her rescue. He also helped her find lodging in an old age home, where she remained for the last year.
Last  Saturday, Ashoke Pandit informed that Geeta Kapoor died “waiting for her children.” He said: “We tried our best to keep her healthy but her wait for her son and daughter made her weaker day by day.”  Pandit had also tweeted that if her family members wouldn’t turn up in two days then he along with the old age personnel would do their “best to bid her a dignified goodbye.”  Last year, Geeta Kapoor had accused her son of torturing and starving her.