RIP Sushant Singh Rajput: A promising actor gone too soon

Popular actor Sushant Singh Rajput passed away on Sunday, leaving countless movie buffs in a state of shock. According to reports, the 34-year-old ended his life by hanging himself at his house in Mumbai.

Born in Patna, the self-made star started out as a member of Shiamak Davar’s standard dance troupe and performed at the 51st Filmfare awards as a background dancer. He soon developed an interest in acting and shifted to Mumbai to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

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Sushant got his first major break when he was roped in to act in the TV show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. Thereafter, he played the lead role in Pavitra Rishta (2009) that proved to be a game changer for the reel Dhoni.

Meanwhile, Sushant bagged a role in the Abhishek Kapoor-helmed Kai Po Che, which emerged as a runaway hit at the box office and exceeded expectations. The young hero received rave reviews from critics, proving that he had arrived. He consolidated his position in the industry with the well-received Shuddh Desi Romance, co-starring Parineeti Chopra. He also appeared in the Aamir Khan starrer PK and the critically-acclaimed Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.

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It was, however, the 2016 release MS Dhoni that propelled him to the big league. The film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, revolved around the life of former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and clicked with the target audience. It hit screens in three languages (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu), helping the star expand his fan base. His subsequent release Raabtaa, however, did not live up to expectations. Sushant luckily bounced back with Kedarnath, co-starring Sara Ali Khan, and silenced his detractors. Sonchiriya too was an important release for him as it received decent patronage despite being a relatively low-key affair.

Sushant essayed the lively ‘Anni’ in the fairly successful Chhichhore, marking his first collaboration with Shraddha Kapoor. He was also seen in the Karan Johar-backed Drive that released directly on Netflix.

His death is a big loss for fans and the industry in general. He will be missed!