Actor laid to rest on the day of movie premiere

IT WAS a bitter-sweet moment this week for the friends of actor Pranesh Maharaj, who was laid to rest on the same day that his most recent movie was released.

Leave was taken of Maharaj on Monday at the Sivananda Ghat next to the Clare Estate Crematorium.

Maharaj, 47, had gone missing on February 7, 2021, when he left his home in umhlanga to go to a shop to buy cigarettes.

His vehicle was found in the Eastern Cape 10 days later.

In June 2021 skeletal remains were discovered of an unidentified person close to where Maharaj’s car was found.

Two-and-a-half years later DNA tests confirmed it was him.

Maharaj’s friend and business partner Anesh Dusrath said they had semi-closure in the matter because they did not know what happened.

“We know that it was Pranesh who we laid to rest. The post-mortem showed lots of physical injuries but what we don’t know was how that happened.

“We have lots of unanswered questions,” Dusrath said.

“Pranesh was not my friend, he was my brother,” he added.

“His son was his world. He was passionate about the performing arts. He shared his talent with others,” said Dusrath.

This week a movie in which Maharaj starred, titled Never Give Up, was released in cinemas.

Never Give Up celebrates the life of Pinky Mothie, a doyenne of showbiz who has been captivating audiences with her fusion extravaganzas in Durban since the early 1960s.

Mothie said tributes were paid to Maharaj this week at the premiere of the movie in Johannesburg and Durban.

“Pranesh played the role of my dad in the movie,” Mothie explained.

“This movie was in the making for the last six years. It was delayed due to Covid.

“It is sad that when it finally got released, Pranesh could not be here with us,” Mothie said.

“Pranesh said to me while we were shooting the movie that he has done so many productions but never felt as much excitement as he felt working on this movie,” she added.

Mothie said she was shocked when she heard of his disappearance and was deeply saddened by his death.

“Pranesh was a talented artist. I have been in the entertainment industry for 55 years and I have worked with Pranesh over the years.

“I had hand-picked him for the role in my movie. Pranesh’s death is a huge loss to the entertainment industry,” she said.

Maharaj was known for his roles on stage and screen in Thunsil, Bhagawan Gave me This Life, The Indian Detective, The Last Victims, For Better for Worse and Material.

He won best supporting actor for his role in the movie