Kriti Sanon remembered Sushant Singh Rajput in a moving post on Instagram. (Photo: Kriti Sanon/Instagram)
Tributes continue to pour in for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Rajput died by suicide on Sunday, the Mumbai Police confirmed. He was only 34. The case is currently being investigated by police who stated that the actor suffered from depression and had sought counselling. He, however, was not taking any medication.
On Monday, Sushant’s family members were flown into Mumbai for his funeral. It took place at Vile Parle crematorium. Apart from his family and close friends, celebrities like Rhea Chakraborty, Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, Mukesh Chhabra, Ekta Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Dinesh Vijan, Krystle D’Souza, Nupur Sanon, Varun Sharma, Abhishek Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Ranvir Shorey among others marked their attendance.
Sushant Singh Rajput was one of the few stars who had successfully transitioned from television to movies. He apparently looked up to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who also famously started his showbiz journey from TV. After hearing the news of his death, Shah Rukh took to Twitter to pay his last respects to the MS Dhoni actor. Sharing a photo of himself and Sushant, SRK tweeted, “He loved me so much…I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad….and so shocking!!”
Filmmaker Anand Gandhi, who has bankrolled movies like Ship of Theseus and Tumbbad, was also keen on casting Sushant Singh Rajput in his next film, Emergence. The film follows the story of four scientists, as they race against a deadly pandemic to save the world from devastation. Also, Sushant Singh Rajput had planned to essay 12 real-life characters, including political strategist Chanakya, poet Rabindranath Tagore and former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, in a biopic series. The project was backed by the actor and his business partner Varun Mathur. The yet-to-be-titled project promised to celebrate the Indian geniuses spanning 2,000 years – from 540 BC to 2015 AD. Though the series was announced in 2018, nothing more was heard about it.
Also read | A look at Sushant Singh Rajput's unfinished projects
"I will always think of Sushant as my friend, although I knew him all of three years out of which one-and-a-half years, we worked very closely. But I will consider him my friend and an extremely sweet man. A gentle soul and a geek. That’s how I will remember him, a boy-geek. You don’t meet geeks in these parts. You don’t find them in Bandra, Versova. You find them in IIT Kharagpur. He was one of those," the filmmaker told indianexpress.com. Click here to read more.
Filmmaker Rumy Jafry on Tuesday revealed late actor Sushant Singh Rajput was set to begin shooting for a romantic comedy, also starring rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty.
Jafry told indianexpress.com, “We were supposed to start shooting for our unnamed romantic comedy in May, but because of the lockdown, we had to keep the movie on hold. We were sure to get working as soon as the industry would start operating normally again. For the film, Sushant and I met very often in the last one year. He would come home and spend time with my family. I would visit him too. My kids were so shocked with the news and after seeing his pictures that were circulated on social media, they couldn’t even sleep. It was very disturbing. He had become like family to me.” Read more here.
"'Iss shehar mein sab fraud hai', Manto ne kaha tha. Some people are talking about how they want to be there for people. In reality they won't take your calls, won't respond to your text and ignore you at parties when you are down and roam around you like vultures when you are successful. @navjotgulati said it without mincing words. In my experience success is purely a subjective matter and if anyone tells me otherwise I’d tell them to stfu. Being an outsider surviving in this city with your dignity intact and on your own terms is success. And if you’ve done that you’re bloody successful my friend.
I was 20, year 2011 I started my film career being launched by one of the biggest production houses. Yes I’m grateful for that. And I went through the same dejection within days post my 1st film released and it went on, it breaks you from within. All the superficial love and promises goes out of the window. Truth is, it’s all DANDHA, BUSINESS. Wish i could go back to my younger self, hug him and tell him that don’t be so hard on yourself kid, you’re enough, you’ve come so far all by yourself and you’ll survive this with dignity. And don’t stop working on yourself to become a better human and a better craftsman. And i did. I believe there’s been my guardian angels who’ve looked after me when i was down and out or may be it was my own will, determination and few kind beings. Every time i was drowning and about to get completely lost an opportunity presented itself, however big or small and pulled me out of it. I’m saying it because it matters and to be honest I don’t give a rats ass because I’ve survived and THRIVED all these years without anyone backing me through my journey. To the younger lot I’d say manage your expectations from yourself and from people around. Give yourself time. Be kind to yourself and to others. You’re enough. You’ve come a long way. And stay away from toxic people, habits and naysayers. Hang in there. Don’t expect much from the INDUSTRY keep doing your bit and right things will come along. Family and few good friends, hold on to them.To those who believe they are sitting on that high castle, you’re not Gods. BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND," the actor shared on his social media.
"Pyaare Sushant, naa film dekhi na kabhi mila tum se ....par tere achaanak chale jaane se bada sadma laga !!! This beautiful beloved show business is very cruel. I can imagine your unbearable pain . I share the pain of your loving family and friends," tweeted Dharmendra.
"A part of my heart has gone with you and a part will always keep you alive," wrote Kriti Sanon on Instagram as she remembered Sushant Singh Rajput.
The actor, who was rumoured to be dating the 34-year-old, shared adorable photos from their time together.
Vikas Gupta shared a video of himself with Sushant Singh Rajput, giving a throwback to their moments together. He mentioned, "Mental illness is real." He thanked Sushant for taking care of his brother like his own.
"Thank you for taking care of my brother like your own. You kept him with you as your family for so long that i lost count of months - (No rent was ever shared or any expenses- he was the older brother) You taught him , loved him & trained him even better than I did. Gratitude for whatever it’s worth now. I am sorry I couldn’t help cause I needed it myself. RIP," the post read.
Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, remembering Sushant Singh Rajput on Monday, spoke about how his work has etched a place in everyone's heart.
"God Bless your soul Sushant. Honestly lost for words since yesterday. Your Good deeds in silence have ensured that you will be remembered forever. You are a blessed soul. At a young age you made a mark in an industry that millions only dream of. It is not easy to have achieved what you did. But YOU DID. Such a great talent. My condolences with your family , loved ones and all those fans who loved you and will remember you for all eternity. You not only immortalised yourself with great performances but etched a place in everyone’s heart with your sensitivity," he wrote on Instagram.
Television actor Sara Khan shared a note on Instagram that read, "And another one bites the dust. Another one is laid to rest. After fighting a long, hard battle in the industry. He came from a small town, with dreams to make it big. He did make it big. But I guess destiny had different plans for him."
She continued, "A moment of silence for all the incredibly talented actors who succumbed to depression by believeing that they were not good enough."
After Sushant Singh Rajput’s cremation on Monday, his Pavitra Rishta co-star and ex-girlfriend Ankita Lokhande visited the actor’s house to meet his family.
Tahir Raj Bhasin said that he will "remember" Sushant Singh Rajput "as the boy who dared to dream." In an Instagram post, he wrote, "Your passionately curious intellect , deep fascination for astronomy and what lies beyond lead to the most awesome on set conversations. You could go from quantum physics to picking up dance choreography in seconds and that is what made you unique . Your journey was inspiring and your insights and advice always generous. The world lost a gem much too soon. Saddened that today you lost what must have been an extremely difficult mental health battle. I hope that in the defeaning silence of your demise society wakes up to the need to more urgently and openly address mental health."
Actor Prakash Raj shared an old video of Sushant Singh Rajput where he can be heard addressing nepotism in Bollywood. He tweeted, "I have lived through this. I have survived. My wounds are deeper than my flesh. But this child Sushant Singh Rajput couldn't. Will we learn. Will we really stand up and not let such dreams die?"
When Twitter user, @DeepakThakur_10, asked Vidyut Jammwal why he did not tweet anything about Sushant Singh Rajput, the actor replied, "Silence speaks volumes if you stop & listen. Absent tears/ inability to write heartfelt eulogies and remembrances could also be a way of expressing grief. Neither the departed soul nor the family is reading the Tweets, so who to write for? We all grieve and mourn- I do it quietly."
"The pain is deep. I'm shocked and speechless. It's difficult to even write a tribute," actor Pankaj Tripathi tweeted.
Reacting on the social media rage against a few members of the film fraternity after Sushant Singh Rajput's death, Shekhar Kapur tweeted, "Naming few people has no value. They themselves are products and victims of a ‘system’ everyone is protesting against. If you really care, if you’re really angry, then bring down the system. Not the individual. That’s guerilla warfare. Not a spurt of anger."
In a post, comedian Mallik Dua has asked her followers to not ask a couple of questions that can pressure an individual, especially from the entertainment industry, to question their self-worth. Dua wrote, "A lot of people both inside and outside the entertainment industry are coming out to offer love and advice and it's sweet. While we are at it, please do take my advice (and I know I speak for most) and stop asking entertainment professionals - "so what are you working on these days?" "I miss your old work" "so when are we seeing you on screen next?" "xyz is giving you tough competition haan" STOP doing that. You don't realise the pressure you put on them. And it's as uncomfortable for a struggler as it is for a superstar in a way only they understand, It's as bizzare as asking somebody, "teri promotion kab hogi? kab badhegi teri salary" (when will you get your promotion? when will you get a hike in salary?)" She added, "It reinforces the idea that opporunity, numbers and external validation = self worth. I think we know how harmful and grossly untrue that idea is. The next time somebody ask you what you are working on, please say, "minding my own business.""
Popular television actor Rithvik Dhanjani took to Instagram to share a video a day after Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The two were a part of the popular daily-soap Pavitra Rishta. In the video, Rithvik Dhanjani said, “It’s funny how suddenly people have realised that they are going to be there. aise zameer kaise jaag gaya? I too have been getting these messages. I don’t need it. The one who needed it didn’t have it. And somewhere we are all culprits that we couldn’t be there when we could have been.”
“Let’s all become more human. Stop judging people and start to genuinely care abouteach other,” he added.
Read more | Rithvik Dhanjani: We need to stop judging and genuinely care about each other
Actor Amol Parashar on Monday took to Twitter to post a moving tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput.
He tweeted, "Young actors are shaken, including me. I can feel it in my bones and flesh, I have seen it in the eyes of the few people I have seen since yesterday, I have heard it in the voices of friends I have spoken to. Did every young actor from out of town receive a call from their family yesterday? I believe so. Whether we see it clearly or not right now, our families can see and feel from afar what this means."
The actor further wrote, "I know each one of us has fought a battle of perception before coming here. some convinced their families, some fought and rebelled, some made a promise to come back if things didn’t work out in a certain period of time. Not that any of us thought it was easier than what our families believed. It’s just that we were willing to fight these fights. You point to certain people and say ‘Look Papa, he/she did it. It’s possible’. That is an attempt to convince yourself as much as it is to convince them. In fact, your dreams and aspirations may not even be as big as some of those really famous names.
"A friend I spoke to yesterday, said that as of today, his best case scenario of where he would like to end up is maybe half of where Sushant was today. “Should I quit?” he added. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. In face of uncertainty, we cling to hope. In a profession as uncertain as this, you need sources of hope, whether from your own life or others’, whether real or imagined. Sushant was one of the “biggest” names in recent times to come from out of this town, and therefore a source of hope for similar young boys and girls, whether we were actively aware of it or not. We are now acutely aware of it as it shatters. From Bandra to Andheri, Goregaon, Malad, to Mira Road and beyond, thousands of young actors like me are sitting alone in their rooms right now wondering what this all means, trying to make sense of this strange mess of feelings and thoughts. I wish I could buy each one of them a beer, sit with them, raise a toast to Sushant, look up to the stars and tell him ‘your dream lives on bro’, in every single one of the thousands and thousands of us, and we hear you, we know what you are trying to tell us here. To not leave each other alone, to not be hard on ourselves. And to grow aware that in the end your self-worth is not about the size of your car, or the brand of your watch, or what other people think about your life and successes."
"You fought the hard fight on our behalf, right at the frontlines of ambition and hardwork, and unknowingly gave us hope on days we had run out of it. Thank you Sushant!" Amol Parashar concluded.
In a video shared by Neha Kakkar, her brother and singer Tony Kakkar paid a beautiful tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput.
After Sushant Singh Rajput's demise, the actor's cousin's wife breathed her last in Purnia, Bihar. As per a report in TimesNow.com, she could not cope up with the news of Sushant passing away.
In a series of tweets, director Hansal Mehta asked actors to not "fall for the trap" as the ones who celebrate you will "celebrate your downfall some time later."
After attending Sushant Singh Rajput's funeral on Monday, actor Vivek Oberoi wrote a heart-wrenching note and hoped that the industry does some serious introspection.
Sushant Singh Rajput will be seen for the last time in Mukesh Chhabra's first directorial Dil Bechara. After the actor's passing away, his fans have been asking the makers to release the film in theaters. "So a lot of people want DilBechara to release on big screen rather than an OTT platform hence we have decided to come together to trend something for Sushant for the last time, interested people reply to this tweet or dm me so that we can come online at a particular time and trend," @ignoreandfly wrote.
In another tweet, the user mentioned, "Sushant was an extraordinary artist who was a stronger believer of power of Cinema. Let us celebrate Sushant's work and see him on the big screen for the final time #DilBecharaOnBigScreen"
@TheAnujRadia believes an OTT release won't do justice to Sushant. "#DilBecharaOnBigScreen. It’s our final chance to watch Sushant exhibit his incredible & unsung talent on celluloid. I think he deserves that at least, an OTT release won’t do justice to him. No matter how long it takes for cinemas to re-open, I will wait for it," he wrote.
@shivangi0817 tweeted, "We'll wait. We don't want his last movie online. We'll walk to the theater, buy ourselves a ticket & watch it. We'll make his last movie blockbuster again so that it is marked in the history that his talent was unique,rare,par excellence, paramount,special"
Rohini Iyer mourned the loss of Sushant Singh Rajput in a moving post. "I didn’t come to say goodbye to you today because saying goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting. I will remember you every single day of my life and specially every insomniac night. I will not search for you in the stars you loved because I know you are around me smiling and shining like the entire galaxy you are!" she wrote.
In a tweet, Swara Bhasker mentioned, "Sushant didn’t leave a note. We don’t know what he went thru. We don’t know the cause. STOP taking out ur frustration using the pain of a troubled person. He didn’t leave a note! Get it? He didn’t want to talk about it. He’s gone. Let him have his peace & his family privacy."
Television actor Nakuul Mehta shared a moving post remembering Sushant Singh Rajput. He wrote, 'So much has been said, shared and still very little makes sense of what one has felt in the last couple days. What remains is that we lost a talent, far before his glory years, who on his own accord, out of sheer hard work & discipline blazed trails which all of us have aspired for. I never knew him, personally. It might be untruthful to even say that I will miss him but with his passing away, what hurts is the gaping void which a lot of us feel knowing that at some level we all have been accomplice to abetting or simply virtue posturing and even glamourising the competitiveness of this business and in the pursuit of artistic/material glory left behind a part of us which wanted to just belong & care.' He continued, 'It makes me reflect on the fragility of our lives and the depth of our relationships. On this increasing need to seek validation outside and looking for constant nod of approval from gatekeepers of our businesses. How often have we asked each other, what we are working on and how rarely do we ask each other, 'how are you'. Just that! We speak of empathy and find it difficult to feel it for a person who doesn't fit into our construct of righteousness. How often we celebrate the successful and not even acknowledge the ones who are still fighting. I feel personally responsible for this. At very many award nights which I may have hosted & performed at, how often did I take the mic to someone who sat in the tenth row, waiting for their turn under the sun. It may have made world of difference to hear some encouragement and feel a sense of belonging. These are just ramblings of a mind which is seeking answers and also feeling disappointed with not doing 'more' to fight the good fight. I hope that we find joy, love & hope from the legacy that Sushant left behind & yet continue to push ourselves to live the best versions of ourselves. For its only befitting that an industry which thrives on selling emotions must feel and be much more.'
Remembering Sushant Singh Rajput, Farhan Akhtar wrote a couple of lines for the actor.