Veteran film publicist RR Pathak dies in Mumbai

Veteran film publicist Rajaram aka RR Pathak died in Mumbai of age-related issues. He was believed to be in his eighties.

RR Pathak began his career in the late 1960s and went on to handle the publicity department for over 300 films.

An avid cine fan, Pathak came to Mumbai from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to find employment in the industry and began working as a public relations officer (PRO) for a few small-budget films.

He got his big break with Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? (1970), directed by Arjun Hingorani and starring Dharmendra and Babita. Thereafter, Pathak continued to handle public relations for all Arjun Hingorani films.

In time, he also started working for producers in the South.

Pathak worked with big stars as well as newcomers. He handled public relations for Mithun Chakraborty's debut film Mrigayaa (1976), Aamir Khan’s debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Ajay Devgn’s Phool Aur Kaante (1991) and Hrithik Roshan’s Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000).

He also worked on Hema Malini’s directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai (1992), which was also Shah Rukh Khan's debut film, though Deewana (1992) was released first.

In an interview with Cinebuster magazine in 2017, Pathak said, “I was very proud when Dharmendra recommended my name to Hema Malini and personally asked me to cover the publicity campaign for her film Dil Aashna Hai, because he was very impressed with my track record.”

Offering condolences to the family, actor Ajay Devgn expressed his gratitude to the veteran in a tweet where he mentioned that Pathak had handled the publicity for his debut film, Phool Aur Kaante, which became a huge hit.