Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who rose to become a formidable presence on the big screen, was found dead on Sunday afternoon. The ‘Kedarnath’ actor was found hanging at his Bandra residence in Mumbai.
Mumbai Police are investigating the death of the 34-year-old actor as a case of suicide. The police said that the actor had spoken to his sister on the telephone around 9 am on Sunday. An hour later, he had a glass of juice and took his tablets. The police added that the cook knocked several times on his door around 11:30 am to confirm the menu.
When the cook and the actor’s two friends who were staying with him in the house got no response, they then called a key-maker who helped open the door. The friends then rang up his sister and the police.
The Patna-born Rajput became an instant hit with his good looks and boyish charm when he was noticed in the famous soap on Zee TV’s ‘Pavitra Rishta’ in 2009. He made his Bollywood debut in the buddy drama ‘Kai Po Che!’ in 2013, for which he also received a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut. The same year, he was also seen in the romantic comedy ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’, which was followed by the titular detective in the action thriller ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ in 2015.
Last week, the ‘MS Dhoni’ actor had posted a highly-evocative post on Instagram invoking his mother’s memories. In a slightly-cryptic note, he remembered his mother who had passed away in 2002. His post with the hashtag Mother in Hindi, read: Blurred past evaporating from teardrops /Unending dreams carving an arc of smile/And a fleeting life,/ negotiating between the two.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences on the micro-blogging platform, mourning the demise of ‘a bright young actor gone too soon’. Lauding his rise in the world of entertainment, the PM wrote that Rajput ‘inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances’.
B-town went into shock as the news of his death was confirmed. From industry colleagues, to friends and fans who started furiously posting pictures with the late actor, everyone recalled their memories and association.
Film-maker Kunal Kapoor was one of the first ones to take to Twitter and he recalled having met the actor just before the lockdown begun, and found the news of his death as incredulous.
Actor Ritiesh Deshmukh also confirmed the news on Twitter, saying, “Shocked beyond words !!!! #SushantSinghRajput no more .... deeply saddened!!”
Last week, Rajput had expressed shock and grief at the passing of his former manager Disha Salian. The PR executive had died of suicide on June 8, when she jumped off from a 14-storied building in Mumbai’s Malad area.