Rajeev Malhotra: The Paramount+ series "Lioness" paid tribute to a late member of its production team on Sunday.
The season 3 finale aired Sept. 20. It closed with a dedication to producer Rajeev Malhotra.
The on-screen message thanked Malhotra for his tireless work and steady support. It ended with a farewell to a friend.
The tribute followed an action-heavy episode with a major cliffhanger. The finale also brought back a character last seen in season 1.
Malhotra worked for years within Taylor Sheridan's television universe. His credits included "Lioness," "Yellowstone," "1883," "1923" and "Landman."
Details of his death
Malhotra died July 28 at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. A GoFundMe page created for his partner, Catherine Jordan, shared the details.
The page says he died peacefully in the hospital's Cardiac ICU. His father, brother, nephew and two cousins were with him. So were Jordan and colleague Chad Galster.
Producer and cartoonist David Derks announced the news in an Aug. 5 social media post.
He said staff at 101 Studios called to tell him Malhotra had died after a heart attack. Derks said Malhotra fell seriously ill the week before.
He kept working anyway to make sure episodes were delivered. Doctors at Cedars-Sinai later found he had suffered a heart attack.
Colleagues remember him
Derks worked with Malhotra on "Yellowstone" and later on "1883," "1923," "Landman" and other projects for Paramount+ and CBS.
He described Malhotra as someone who always stepped up in a demanding industry. He also recalled late-night meetings and punishing post-production schedules.
He closed with a message of condolence to Malhotra's family and friends.
Abe Kurien also posted a tribute on Instagram on Aug. 6. He worked as a dailies coordinator on "Yellowstone," "1883," "1923" and "The Madison."
Kurien thanked Malhotra for hiring him in 2020. He credited Malhotra with opening doors on other shows in what he called the "Yellowstone Family."
He said he hopes to carry Malhotra's knowledge forward.
A partner of 15 years
The GoFundMe page praises Malhotra's dedication to the Sheridan, Paramount and 101 Studios shows over the past eight years. Its goal is to support Jordan, his partner of 15 years.
According to the page, the couple met on the set of a Paramount movie in 2011. They worked side by side every day for four months. They fell in love and moved in together.
The page also describes how many colleagues came to say goodbye. More than 20 people visited the hospital during his final two days.
All three seasons of "Lioness" are streaming on Paramount+.
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