As told to Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 15, 2020)

I am stunned… shocked. It’s hard to believe that Sushant Singh Rajput could take such an extreme step given that he was such a lively and positive person, a hardworking actor who was an example to those who were younger. Even when we had to work 15-20 hours, he never complained. Both Ankita Lokhande and he were very committed and enthusiastic about their work and their chemistry added to the magic of Pavitra Rishta.

Sushant was hungry to learn and would often talk about the things he wanted to do. He was a risk-taker and quit the soap when the show was on the top of the charts and he was the No. 1 actor on TV. When I wondered why he would do such a thing, he told me he wanted to learn the craft and become a director someday.

We didn’t speak regularly after Kai Po Che!, but whenever I texted him, he always replied. He never forgot old friends.

He was an educated guy and had a sound thought process. But he was an emotional too. Money, position, power didn’t matter to him. Sushant’s death has made me realise there’s so much more than success and fame. We all talk about physical immunity, but mental health is important too. I wish he could have told someone what he was going through, then, maybe he would have still been here with us.