Mumbai: Rajjat Barjatya, the affable, soft-spoken managing director & CEO of Rajshri Entertainment, passed away Friday evening in Mumbai's Jaslok Hospital. Rajjat had been battling a blood cancer relapse since end-March this year. He was 41 years old.

He was first detected with lymphoblastic leukemia in 2010. But he fought and conquered the life-threatening disease and had started aggressively expanding Rajshri in the digital space over the past couple of years. The dreaded disease resurfaced earlier this year.

He is survived by his wife Neha and two daughters, aged 11 and six.

Rajjat was a big votary of digital and online video and Rajshri Entertainment had emerged as amongst YouTube's most preferred partners in India under his guidance.

Confirming the news, Jaslok Hospital CEO Dr Taran Gianchandani said that the death occurred at around 6:30 pm and refused to comment further.

According to sources, Rajat was supposed to travel to London next week for a bone marrow transplant. "He had been in and out of hospital over the past three weeks. In the ICU and out. On Thursday, he became quite serious and was put on the ventilator," says a source close to family. "His body gave up the fight on Friday evening."

His last rites will be performed on Saturday at Mumbai's Worli Crematorium at 1 pm.

A cousin of renowned film maker Sooraj Barijatya and the son of Ajit Kumar Barjatya, Rajjat was also the founder & managing trustee of Rajshri Foundation, the non profit social enterprise of the Rajshri Group. He was actively involved in the Barjatya family's Rajshri Productions, which has been behind family based movies such as Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Apke Hain Kaun and the recent 2015 Salman Khan starrer Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

May his soul rest in peace.

(Updated on 1 August 2016, 12:54 pm)