Who is Mahesh Shetty? The actor Sushant Singh Rajput called before his death

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who had carved a niche for himself in Bollywood with Kai Po Che and MS Dhoni, ended his life on Sunday (June 14) much to the shock of countless movie buffs. The Mumbai police, on Monday, decided to record Rhea Chakraborty and Mahesh Shetty's satatements in connection with the suicide. While almost everyone knows that the the Tuneega Tuneega star is an upcoming actress, not many are aware of the TV star's impressive body of work.

Read: Track latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case

Mahesh, who is considered to be an underrated performer, has been a part of the tellyworld for over a decade and acted in quite a few popular shows.

He played a key role in the Ekta Kapoor-backed Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, which marked Sushant's small screen debut. The two got along well and soon became good friends. The two subsequently teamed up for the much-loved Pavitra Rishta (2013), which propelled the 'Patna Boy' to stardom.

Accorfing to various reports, SSR gave him a call hours before his death. Reacting to this, his team issued a statement via Instagram and said that the actor was pained by his demise.

“As we are all deeply pained and shocked to hear about Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely demise.. So is Mahesh Shetty. He has lost a brother, a very dear friend and is still coming to terms with the shock and reality and is completely heartbroken. We, his team, request the media and all of you, on his behalf, to please give him some privacy and let him grieve for his loss," read the post.

Mahesh also essayed supporting roles in Kalash, Parichay and Pyaar Ka Bandhan and carved a niche for himself in the industry. Most fans, however, feel it was the Ekta Kapoor-created Bade Achche Lagte Hai that proved to be a gamechanger for him as it saw him work alongside TV A-listers Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar of Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii fame.

Mahesh made his big screen debut with Riteish Deshmukh starrer Banjo, which received mixed to negative reviews from critics. He will soon be seen in the Ajay Devgn starrer Bhuj, which is likely to release once the coronavirus situation improves.