Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found hanging at his Bandra apartment on Sunday, police said. He was 34.
His last screen appearance was “Chhichhore”, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
He has committed suicide at his residence in Bandra. He was found hanging today. We are investigating,” Manoj Sharma, additional commissioner of police, Western Region, told PTI.
Sources from the Bandra Police said on the basis of primary information, a case of accidental death report will be registered. No suicide note was found from the spot, they said.
Rajput’s former manager, 28-year-old Disha Salian, ended her life by jumping from a high rise building on June 9.
Last week, the actor mourned Salian’s death and called it “devastating news”.
“It’s such devastating news. My deepest condolences to Disha’s family and friends. May your soul rest in peace,” he had written on his Instagram stories.
The last social media post shared by the actor, who hailed from Patna, was dedicated to his mother, who passed away in 2002 when he was a teenager.
“Blurred past evaporating from teardrops. Unending dreams carving an arc of smile.
“And a fleeting life, negotiating between the two,” read the Instagram post shared on June 3 with his mother’s picture.
An engineering dropout, Rajput was inclined towards dancing when he was a student at Delhi Technological University. He soon enrolled in choreographer Shiamak Davar’s dance classes and later joined acting guru Barry John’s classes.
He also performed as a background dancer in the song “Dhoom again” with Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the 2006 film “Dhoom 2”.
But it was the small screen that gave the “outsider” his breakout role as the coy and mild-mannered Manav in soap opera Pavitra Rishta , which ran from 2009-11, and was produced by Ekta Kapoor.
Two years later, he made his foray into films with Kai Po Che! in 2013.
He has starred in movies such as Shuddh Desi Romance , Raabta , Kedarnath and Sonchiriya but his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s in the 2007 biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story .
In his last screen appearance, “Chhichhore”, Rajput played the role of a father who conveys the message of hope and affirmation to his son after he attempts suicide.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned Rajput’s death, remembering him as a “bright young actor”.
“Sushant Singh Rajput…a bright young actor gone too soon. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti,” the PM tweeted.
“Chhichhore” director Tiwari said he had spoken to Rajput last week.
“I had to call people to confirm. It’s so shocking and unfortunately true. I am at a loss for words. I spoke to him last week over messages. We would text each other on and off. Now this is what I get to hear. He was like a younger brother to me,” Tiwari told PTI.
Abhishek Bachchan tweeted, “This is just so shocking. A wonderful talent. RIP Sushant.
