Sushant Singh Rajput's sudden and tragic death has left Bollywood and fans shocked. He was just 34 and it is being reported in most circles as a suicide due to depression. Just goes to show one never knows what turmoil another person is dealing with. He was a rising star in the industry and had already put in quite a few notable performances.?
Even as we still reel from his untimely death, let's look back at two of his films that have a cricket connection. Yes, there are a couple of films where his character was very much involved in the game.?
For the first one we have to rewind to 2013. Yes, we are talking of Kai Po Che, the movie inspired from Chetan Bhagat's book The 3 Mistakes Of My Life. One set his path in Bollywood and the other sent him to stardom.?
In Kai Po Che, Sushant plays the role of Ishaan. He is a former district-level cricketer who missed out on big chances due to the politics in the game. But when he sees a young boy Ali practicing how to bat, he recognises the kid's talent and teaches him how to bat. The efforts bear fruit. While Ishaan dies trying to save Ali during the communal riots in Gujarat, his efforts bear fruit 10 years later when Ali is making his debut for India for Australia and hits the first ball for four exactly the way Ishaan had taught him.?
Now we come to MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. It is a biopic of Captain Cool showcasing his journey from humble beginnings to leading India to the 2011 World Cup title. Sushant plays the role of Dhoni and it must be said, he pulled it off to perfection. Be it the walk, style of talking, cool demeanour or even the helicopter shot, he did it with style. Even Kiran More, who trained him ahead of the movie, said he mastered the helicopter shot, which is Dhoni's signature. Sachin Tendulkar saw him batting while preparing for the role and said he was good enough to play professionally. Even the batting was just like Dhoni. Dhoni himself was full of praise for Sushant. On the actor's death, Dhoni's wife Sakshi remembered him by posting a photo on Facebook of him with Captain Cool and Ziva:?
?Sushant was from a new breed of actors who rose their level of performance. A young life cut short in its prime, his movies the memories he leaves us behind. ?