Producer Ekta Kapoor has announced her decision to step back from the Pavitra Rishta fund. The development came after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case was handed over to the CBI by the Supreme Court. The producer said that while she supports the cause of mental health, she would withdraw herself “till investigations are carried out and we have a clear picture on Sushant’s unfortunate death.”In a post shared on her social media accounts, Ekta informed that the fund was started by Zee. The producer also said that while she would always support the network on other mental awareness funds, she has respectfully disassociated herself from this as “it seems that there is more to this tragic incident.” She added that like everyone, she is also waiting for the truth, and used the hashtag “#SSR Hope that truth prevails.”
Ekta Kapoor’s statement reads, “While I support the cause of mental health, I disassociate myself from the ‘Pavitra Rishta fund’ till investigations are carried out and we have a clear picture on Sushant’s unfortunate death. I withdraw myself from this fund individually as of now, as it seems that there is more to this tragic incident. Like the rest of the country, I would like the truth to come out.”Named after Sushant Singh Rajput’s popular show, the Pavitra Rishta Fund was launched last month by ZEE5 as a step to create awareness and normalising conversation around mental health.
The initiative was designed to encourage people to have discussions, especially with close friends and family by being a ‘Manav’ (Rajput’s character in Pavitra Rishta) in their life. The network said that the vision was inspired by Pavitra Rishta show, which celebrated human relationships. Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his residence on June 14. The Mumbai Police had declared it as ‘death by suicide’. With the initial investigations hinting at him suffering from a mental illness, many in the industry spoke about the importance of creating awareness. The Pavitra Rishta Fund backed a microsite which had a live panel of doctors, helpline numbers as well as expert videos.