Sushant Singh Rajput was a brilliant actor and man of great intelligence.
The actor reportedly died by suicide in his Mumbai residence. He was 34 years old.? ?
He was born in Patna, Bihar and after his mother's demise in 2002 which left the family devastated, they moved homes to Delhi. Right after his schooling from Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Delhi, Rajput secured admission in Delhi Technological University, New Delhi to pursue his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He even secured an AIR #7 in 2003 AIEEE. Along with this, he was also a Physics National Olympiad winner and managed to clear more than seven engineering entrance exams. Like we said, man of great intelligence.?
However, his passion for theatre took over in his third year of college and he dropped out to pursue his dream of acting. He began with taking classes to polish his acting skills and also joined Shiamak Davar's dance group. Davar was so impressed with Rajput's flawless dancing talent that he gave him the opportunity to perform at the Commonwealth Games as well as the Filmfare awards.?
After that, Rajput's road to success just kept getting clearer and he joined Barry John's drama classes and that is when he caught the eye of a casting director for Balaji Telefilms who watched him perform on stage.?
Impressed by his talent, Rajput was then offered his first on-screen role in the show Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil as Preet. It was only after this that he bagged his evergreen role of Manav Deshmukh in the show Pavitra Rishta which turned him into a household name.
The show went on to be his ¡®big break¡¯ and led him to the gates of Bollywood. He debuted in the film Kai Po Che! which was a huge success and everyone adored the new boy in town. However, things really changed for the best for him when he starred as former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni in the cricketer¡¯s biopic -- ?¡®MS Dhoni- The Untold Story¡¯.
It made him into one of the top leading actors in the Indian film industry and the film was marked as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2016.?
He dated his Pavitra Rishta co-star Ankita Lokhande for about six years and even though there were rumours of the couple getting married, they unfortunately ended their relationship in 2016.
His last commercial film that taught us an important lesson was Chhichhore. The movie¡¯s message to the audience was that no matter how difficult things get, suicide is never an option.
It breaks our hearts to know that this is the way he had to go, especially after spreading this message.?
Depression and mental health issues are very real and we desperately need to start addressing them. The taboo around depression plays a strong hand in making people feel vulnerable and helpless. It¡¯s time to end the stigma.
If you or anyone you know is battling with depression or other mental health issues, please reach out to someone who can help.
AASRA Foundation:? 022 2754 6669
Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528 / +91 84229 84529 / +91 84229 84530
Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: +911124311918
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