Bollywood fraternity and fans from across the country mourned on Sunday following the demise of versatile actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who graced the silver screen with a variety of commendable performances. The actor passed away today at the age of 34, triggering an outpour of condolences from all quarters.
Born in Patna, with ancestral roots in Bihar, the 34 year-old-actor was brilliant in academics, which secured him admission in the Bachelor of Engineering, in Delhi. However, as his craze for theatre and dance blossomed, he pursued his career in acting.
Sushant graced many dance floors, be it as a background dancer or the one to take the lead, and his dancing skills were widely appreciated by renowned celebrities and his fans throughout his career. He was also a part of 2010, dance reality shows -- 'Zara Nachke Dikha,' and 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4', receiving accolades every step of the way.
It was television producer Ekta Kapoor, who gave the late star his first break in TV soap 'Pavitra Rishta,' alongside actor Ankita Lokhande. His performance as the lead character, Manav Deshmukh was met with humongous applause, enabling his stature as a household name for a TV actor. He went to receive several television awards for the performance.
In hindsight, this sole performance turned out to be the stepping stone for Sushant to migrate from small to the big screen.
Making his film debut in 2013 with Abhishek Kapoor's 'Kai Po Che', Sushant garnered critical and commercial acclaim, despite being casted as one of the three leads, along with actors Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh. The film was based on Chetan Bhagat's novel 'The 3 Mistakes of My life'.
'Suddh Desi Romance' alongside actors Parineeti Chopra and Va Kapoor marked his second film. Afterwards, he was seen in 2014, alongside actors Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma in 'PK.' Despite being a short role, his performance was met with wide recognition.
With some hits and misses, the actor proved his mettle in the entertainment industry after the release of 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story', a biopic based on the former Indian cricket captain's life. The film was not only loved by a legion of his fans and critics alike, but it also became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films in 2016. His performance got him the first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
In 2017, he appeared in Dinesh Vijan's 'Raabta' alongside actor Kriti Sanon, and was seen in 'Kedarnath', co-starring Sara Ali Khan in 2018.
The actor was last seen in 2019 released Nitesh Tiwari's 'Chhichhore' along with actors Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma and Prateik Babbar in the lead roles. The film dealt with the importance of mental health and its implications on one's life.
Sushant Singh Rajput allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Sunday, Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Sharma confirmed. However, no suicide note has been recovered from his Bandra residence, as per the police and further investigation is underway.
The sudden demise of the versatile actor has left shock waves among many, and the social media platforms are flooded with condolences messages with many recalling the gem of a person, Sushant Singh Rajput was.
( With inputs from ANI )