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‘I attempted suicide twice’: Toxic, KGF composer Ravi Basrur reveals how a stranger’s keyboard and Rs 35,000 saved his life

KGF composer Ravi Basrur revealed he attempted suicide twice at 18 and shared how a man who heard his music gave him a keyboard and ₹35,000, a moment that changed his life forever.

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 21, 2026 08:06 PM IST

Toxic composer tried to kill himself. (Photo: Instagram/IMDb)

When KGF: Chapter 1 released in 2018, audiences couldn’t stop crooning “Salaam Rocky Bhai” and were instantly hooked to its powerful background score. The man behind that sound was Ravi Basrur, who went on to compose music for KGF: Chapter 2, Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire and Kabzaa. However, long before the fame and acclaim, the composer battled deep personal struggles and even attempted to take his own life.

When KGF, Toxic composer tried taking his life

At the recent teaser launch event of the Telugu film Cult, Ravi was honoured for his contribution to the project. Actor-director-writer Vishwak Sen surprised him with a Rolex watch as a token of appreciation in front of the media, leaving the composer visibly emotional and speechless.

Addressing the gathering, Ravi said, “I have 25 years of experience. I have always tried to give good music to good people. Today, with this honour, he has appreciated my soul. He appreciated my dedication towards music. It is not just a watch, it is an appreciation for musicians.”

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He then made a heartbreaking revelation: “By the age of 18, I had attempted suicide twice. I didn’t want this life. However, I was saved both times. The man who saved me the second time heard my music, bought me a keyboard, and gave me Rs 35,000. That day, I changed my name to Ravi—it was the name of the man who saved my life.”

At the age of 18, I tried to suicide 2 times with no hope. Then a man named Ravi gave me a keyboard and 35K. I took his name as my first name making it #RaviBasrur 👍

– Ravi Basrur at #Cult Teaser launch.

pic.twitter.com/spBuUh2ZoC

— Christopher Kanagaraj (@Chrissuccess) February 21, 2026

Expressing his gratitude, he added, “After that man, it is Vishwak Sen who recognised me—my journey and my soul. I will be indebted to him all my life.”

Clips from the emotional moment have since gone viral on social media.

About Cult

Cult, starring Vishwak Sen, Gayatri Bharadwaj, and Murali Sharma, is written and directed by Vishwak Sen himself, with Ravi Basrur composing the music. The makers shared the film’s teaser today but are yet to announce the film’s release date.

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About Toxic

Ravi is also the music composer for Yash’s upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups. The makers of Toxic released the film’s teaser on Friday. Toxic will be Yash’s first film in four years after the release of KGF Chapter 1 (2018) and KGF Chapter 2 (2022). The film is set to clash with Dhurandhar Part 2 on March 19.

Directed by Geethu Mohandas, the project also stars Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth in pivotal roles.

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