That’s how 20-year-old actress Tunisha Sharma’s co-stars are reacting to her tragic death on Saturday
BOMBAY TIMES (December 26, 2022)

The TV industry is still reeling under the shocking death of Tunisha Sharma on the sets of her show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul. The 20-year-old actress reportedly died by suicide; she hanged herself in a make-up room on the sets in Naigaon on Saturday.

The Waliv police has arrested her co-star Sheezan Khan under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. Tunisha and Sheezan were apparently in a relationship, but in the past few days, there was trouble between them. Following her death, her mother lodged a complaint against Sheezan, after which he was arrested. Yesterday, he was produced at Vasai Court and has been sent to fourday police custody.

Tunisha’s co-actors from Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul still can’t believe what has happened. Rumi Khan said, “I am shocked! How could this happen to someone who seemed absolutely fine just a few hours earlier? On Saturday, I was not shooting, but we had a quick chat over messages around 2 pm. She was like a daughter to me. She had lost her father when she was very young and she used to tell me that I resemble him. We shared a special bond and I cared for her. She was a sweet and kind soul and my heart goes out to her mother. ”

TV SHOW’S SHOOT COMES TO A HALT
After the incident on Saturday, the shoot of Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul came to a halt. The future of the show, too, seems uncertain, given the fact that Tunisha and Sheezan were the lead actors. However, the cast and crew are hoping that the shoot will resume at some point. “It is going to take some time for the production house to decide how to go about getting the show back on track,” said a cast member.

TUNISHA’S LAST POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Tunisha was active on social media. A few hours before her death, she had posted a video on her Instagram stories, where she could be seen sitting in a chair getting her make-up done. “#BTS #STAYTUNED,” she wrote. She had also posted a picture from the set around the same time, with a caption that read, “Those who are driven by their Passion Doesn’t stop (sic).”

J Karthik, who plays the lead antagonist on Tunsiha-Sheezan’s TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-e-Kabul expressed shock saying, “If you see the videos Tunisha has posted just before the incident, it is hard to believe that someone in that frame of mind would take such a step. It looks like there is a hidden story behind this and I hope the investigation leads to some clear results.”

Kartik, who is currently in Bengaluru, has not been shooting for the show for the past few weeks. Talking about Tunisha and Sheezan, he said, “She came across as a very quiet, reserved girl and seemed very focused on her work. Tunisha and Sheezan were friends and there was no talk about a relationship of any sort that I am aware of. They would hang out together during lunch, they were jovial and happy.”

As a senior on the sets, Karthik feels that youngsters today find it difficult to deal with pressure. “There is this urgency and immediate need for instant gratification among youngsters, which can be disturbing. Everyone wants to do well and better than others, there is competition, but the competition is not healthy. They are in the rat race, but are unable to deal with the pressure that comes along with it. It is sad that there is nobody around who can spare some time and give a bit of advice when a person is feeling low. Everyone is fighting for survival; nobody wants to get involved in anybody else’s issues. It is a lonely world for someone so young and impressionable, and that can be scary.”
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Co-stars and peers are failing to come to grips with the death of the 20-year-old actor
Vinay MR Mishra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 26, 2022)

Actor Tunisha Sharma, 20, was found dead on the sets of her TV show Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul on Saturday. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm, in Sharma’s co-actor and alleged boyfriend Sheezan M Khan’s makeup room.

Senior police inspector Kailas Barve from Waliv police station in Maharashtra’s Vasai area, Palghar district, shares, “The media was questioning if she was pregnant, but nothing like that came out in the [postmortem] report. Her mother said that Sheezan provoked her to commit suicide. They had an affair, but he denied marrying her, which is why she was in depression. [Sheezan] admitted that they [had been] in a relationship. They had a breakup in November, but they continued working on the set.”

Actor Vineet Raina, who is a part of the ongoing show, was in his hometown, in Jammu & Kashmir, when he received the news. “She used to call me bhaijaan. If I cracked a joke, she got it even if nobody else did. We used to laugh together. While she was tiny and thin, I’d always ask her where she got her energy from. She was like a deer — fudakti rehti thi. I very recently heard her singing and she was just too brilliant. I don’t know what happened,” Raina shares, adding that he never saw Sharma and Khan fighting.

Actor Athar Siddiqui, her co-star in the show, adds, “She brought a positive vibe to the set and I still remember that smiling face. She was a lovely girl, always cheerful. Yes, she was dating Sheezan and everyone on the set was aware. I’m absolutely shocked and heartbroken with the news.”

The same could be said of actor Jayati Bhatia, also a part of the show. “I met her on December 1. I hugged her. Itni pyaari baatein... Itni pyaari si bachchi ka aisa step lena, my heart goes out to her mother. I want to meet her, but I don’t know how to face her. It’s unimaginable to even think what she must be going through. I just want to tell all the youngsters that this too shall pass, everything in life can be tackled, but life is too precious. You should talk things out,” shared Bhatia.

Meanwhile, ANI quoted Khan’s advocate Sharad Rai, as saying, “Sheezan Khan has been sent to custody for 4 days. Police don’t have any evidence as yet. Allegations are put against him. Further probe is yet to be conducted.”

INDUSTRY REACTS

KARAN KUNDRRA
“Shocking and sad.. I pray to god to give her loved ones strength #TunishaSharma Om Shanti it’s my request to everyone: there’s always light at the end of a dark tunnel (sic),” the actor wrote on Twitter.

SUGANDHA MISHRA
The singer-comedian tweeted, “Shocking and heart wrenching this unfortunate news of a young talented bful soul... Prayers , strength to her family and loved ones (sic).”

ABHISHEK KAPOOR
Shocked &deeply saddened by the passing away of #tunishasharma . I worked with her on #fitoor she was a young 13 yr old, a gifted & a disciplined actor,” tweeted Kapoor, who directed Sharma in Fitoor (2016).

SUICIDE HELPLINE INFO:
If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918