DURBAN - As news around the unexpected death of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput continued to make headlines this week, South Africans recalled meeting him.
On Sunday, the news broke that Rajput, 34, had committed suicide.
According to police reports, the actor hanged himself at his home in Bandra, Mumbai. He did not leave a note.
IANS reported that Rajput’s brother-in-law, OP Singh, who is the additional director-general of police and posted as special officer in the Haryana Chief
Minister’s Office, suspected foul play. It was reported that he sought a thorough probe into the incident.
The autopsy report on Monday cited asphyxia as the cause of death. The police have questioned Rajput’s friends, Rhea Chakravarty and Mahesh Shetty. Others are likely to be interviewed.
The Hindustan Times’ online edition reported that the actor had battled with depression for the past six months.
Rajput became popular for his character Manav in the Zee TV serial Pavitra Rishta. He evolved into a critically-acclaimed film actor, popular for his roles in MS Dhoni, Byomkesh Bakshi, Kai Po Che and, more recently, Chhichhore.
Veesham Maharaj and Vinay Hansraj, partners at Showtime Promotions, recalled their time with the star when they brought him to South Africa in 2011 to perform. Maharaj said he first met the actor on the set of Pavitra Rishta.
“At that stage, Pavitra Rishta was popular on TV. Being a popular TV show, we decided to bring the stars, Sushant and his co-actor, Ankita Lokhande, to the country,” said Maharaj.
“Prior to the concert, we took them for an appearance to the Chatsworth Centre. We were shocked to see such a huge turnout. The centre management had to bring in additional security. We then realised the true popularity of TV stars.
“There is one memory of Sushant that will always stand out for me – his humility. At this meet and greet, he asked me to please give him two tickets to that night’s concert. He had seen an elderly couple in the crowd, called them to the front and gave them those tickets."
Hansraj recalled meeting with Rajput at a concert in Bangalore after the South African event.
“This is probably my fondest memory of him. He was due for a stage performance in front of 40-odd thousand people, and about 45 minutes before he went on stage, when he put on his pants, he realised it was too long. It was too late to have it altered. We borrowed a pair of scissors from housekeeping and cut the pants to suit him.
“He was an amazing personality who then became a much-loved silver screen actor. It’s a pity that at 34 his life has ended. Perhaps, a social message that we can take from this is no matter how bad your problems are, please talk about it.”
Varshan Sookhun, a film critic and radio presenter, met Rajput at the same South African performances in Johannesburg and Durban which he compered.
“Sushant’s strongest asset as a public figure was his humility. He was perhaps too humble for the industry he was working in. I remember interacting with him during his concert tour. He was surprised to see such a large number of fans from a foreign country turn up to watch him perform.
"He was deeply touched by the attention and reciprocated with affectionate hugs and photographs. All of this was done in the presence of his then-girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande, who was evidently his biggest fan.”
Shalandra Bunseelal, a film critic, said: “I have been a huge fan of Sushant since he became a household name on Pavitra Rishta. Having met him a few times, he always came across as an encyclopedia of knowledge, but there was always something deep about him.
“His talent and movies will be remembered in the history books of Bollywood. The irony of his death is that his last movie, Chhichhore, which was a hit, was a tale of life lessons and societal pressures.”
Rajput was last seen on the big screen in last year’s Chhichhore, and this year in Drive, his web release film with Jacqueline Fernandez.
His last rites were concluded at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle in Mumbai on Monday.