With the ongoing pandemic which has aggravated personal and professional problems for many, one’s mental health has finally come to the forefront. When a guy tweeted to actor Divya Dutta, saying he was feeling depressed, she replied to him and that changed his mood instantly. “That’s all it took to uplift his spirits. Sometimes, people just want to be heard and it can change a life,” says the actor, who hopes that if people communicate once a week or twice a month, it will make a difference.

In light of actor Asif Basra’s death by suicide and other such cases, there were many discussions on mental health and handling stress in the entertainment field. She says, “It was shocking to hear about the recent suicide cases as none of us knew their internal battles and conflicts. All we saw was their happy faces. To then say, pata hi nahin chala, is a frivolous outlook.”

People are always interested to know about the personal lives of celebrities, feels Dutta, and adds, “It doesn’t help that this is an unpredictable career. No matter how talented, you don’t know when you will get a break. People are scared to let others know that they are suffering, and that they need help.”

While we are all busy “trying to survive”, Dutta shares that it is not anyone’s fault. She reveals that she calls people just to talk to them. But when they ask, why did she call, they are taken aback to hear, “aise hi”. She says, “Hamari industry mein jo successful hai usse sab phone karte hain, call someone who you don’t need professionally or someone who is going through a career slump.”

Hours after reports of late actor Asif Basra committing suicide hit headlines, friends and colleagues of the artiste connecting with mid-day expressed shock at the development, citing that he had seemed "pretty okay" during previous interactions.

The Tashkent Files director Vivek Agnihotri points to a celebration party of the film when recalling his last interaction with Asif Basra. "I am working on The Kashmir Files and had promised to cast him in it again. He had categorically told me that he had been getting good offers from the West and that he was looking towards working in international cinema. As someone who has collaborated with him on many projects, I can say he was easy to work with and was a lively person. I can't comment on his personal life, but when we shot for a few days last year, he sounded pretty okay."

News of Basra's death was revealed by a portal on Twitter. Basra, 53, was reportedly living in a rented house in McLeodganj since the last five years along with a girlfriend, who is a foreigner. It is being reported that the actor had a property on lease and would visit the space in Dharamshala, regularly.

Siddharth P Malhotra, who worked with Basra on the Rani Mukerji-starrer Hichki, remembers him as a "very happy actor", who referred to Dharmshala as a place that brought him immense happiness. "He would often say that he would visit the place to live in the mountains and to escape from Mumbai. Despite being talented, he didn't have an ego. He was also well-read and versed in several subjects. As an actor, he was hungry, and would always try to make a scene better."

In his over two decade-long career, Basra played supporting parts in many critically-acclaimed features like Black Friday, Parzania and Outsourced. His notable performances in Hindi cinema include Imtiaz Ali's 2007 film Jab We Met, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor, Fanney Khan, Kai Po Che, and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai.

Actor, Asif Basra, 53, was found hanging at a private guest house in McLeodganj in Dharamshala on Thursday. “The forensic team is at the spot and police is investigating the matter,” Vimukt Ranjan, SSP, Kangra, informed ANI, adding prima facie it is a case of suicide but they are looking into the cause. Basra is believed to have been suffering from depression. As per reports the actor had a property on lease for the past five-six years and visited frequently. He was said to be living with his UK-based girlfriend.

Asif caught the eye in Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday, following up with films like Parzania, Jab We Met, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Lamhaa, Kai Po Che!, Krrish 3, Ek Villain and more recently, The Tashkent Files and Sooryavanshi. Vivek Agnihotri, the director of The Tashkent Files, shocked by the news, informs that they have bonded over TV and cinema for over two decades. “He was a friend for years and had told me to cast him in all the films in my ‘Files’ series. He was going to be in my next, The Kashmir Files. I had no clue as to what was going on in his mind, I’m really sad today,” stated an emotional Vivek.

Asif had started his TV career with Vivek, who in the ’90s and early 2000s, had directed him in shows like Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum, Saturday Night Suspense, Rishtey and X-Zone. The maker informs that Asif was also getting international offers and was doing good work on the digital platform. “He was bitter about Bollywood’s style of functioning, believing character and supporting actors were not given their due. But that apart, sounded okay in all our conversations. He was a versatile actor who could deliver in any role. I am shocked that life didn’t deliver for him,” Vivek sighs.

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has done a lot of work with Asif—from Kai Po Che! to the recently released Hostages 2. He describes Asif as “an honest, energetic, positive and dedicated guy, always ready to audition and looking forward to work”.

Divya Dutta, says he was one of the most jovial persons on the set, always full of life. “I have seen a lot of his work and admired it. But in Hostages, he surprised me,” she admits, saying she has heard it’s a death by suicide. “We, as a society, should contemplate how somebody who looks so happy and content with life, could be going through a lot deep inside. It’s scary and we need to address it. Nobody could figure there was something bothering him, everyone would look at him and say, hey, he is so sorted. God bless his soul.”

McLeodganj: Actor Asif Basra, a familiar face in Bollywood films for nearly two decades and recently seen in OTT series Pataal Lok and Hostages, allegedly died by suicide at his rented home in HP’s McLeodganj on Thursday.

The 53-year-old, who also had impressive cameos in ‘Kai Po Che,’ and ‘Jab We Met,’ was staying in the house since September.

Locals had seen him with his dog earlier in the day. He was allegedly found hanging from the roof by his girlfriend, who informed the police. “Prima facie, it appears he hanged himself,” Kangra SP Vimukt Ranjan told TOI. No suicide note has been recovered so far, he said. Basra had been visiting McLeodganj intermittently for the past five years.

“A team of forensic experts has taken evidence from the spot. His family members will reach Dharamshala on Friday. The post-mortem will be carried out only after their arrival,” Ranjan said.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted, “It is unbelievable, yet another loss of a dear friend #AsifBasra - gem of a talent & full of life personality…” 

As an actor, Basra was known for his expressive eyes. He commanded attention even in the smallest of roles. Often his acting was so effortless you hardly seemed to notice it. He only had a minute or more of screen time as a predatory shark hitting on a lonely Geet Dhillon (Kareena Kapoor) in a railway station in Jab We Met. But we still remember the scene. His excellence was also evident in a recent Titan ad with Rajkummar Rao. The way his facial expressions change when he learns that his former young employee is offering him a CEO’s job underlined his quality as an actor. He had also worked in 2017 Himachali film, ‘Saanjh’, described as the first in the state’s western Pahari language.

Several Bollywood actors and directors expressed shock at his sudden death. Actor Divya Dutta tweeted, “Terribly shocked to hear about @asifbasra’s untimely demise. We shot together for #hostages2. Looked such a happy free spirited man! And was such a fab actor!! Rip Asif. This is hard to digest.” Ranvir Shorey posted, “Asif Basra was a warm, generous and exuberant co actor and friend. He will be missed dearly. My heart goes out to his family and friends. RIP.”

Director Rahul Dholakia wrote, “Shocked to hear about Basra!! What a wonderful actor and a jovial fellow - I mean why would he?? Very Sad - Had directed him in Parzania (Chagan), in Lamhaa (the Darzee) - and also in society - Very sad to hear about his passing !! #asifbasra Hope you are at peace.” Fellow director Vivek Agnihotri tweeted, “OMG... no way... you can’t do this Asif. We just did #TheTashkentFiles together and we were supposed to start my new film. OMG. What’s happening? Why? Not you? Never...”