BOMBAY TIMES (January 10, 2020)

Soon after TV actor Kushal Punjabi’s suicide on December 26, 2019, there were reports in the media about trouble in his married life. Putting the rumours to rest, the late actor’s family — his parents Vijay and Priya Punjabi, wife Audrey Dolhen and sister Ritika — have now issued a joint statement.

It reads: “We have lost Kushal Punjabi, a beloved son, husband, father and brother on the 26th Dec 2019. It has been an emotional challenge for us all as a family to cope with his loss, as you can imagine and most importantly for his young son who is barely 4 years old. There have been multiple reports through various media that have been falsely reported as being given by members of Kushal’s family and we hereby confirm these as not true. Kushal was a very doting father who shared a close relationship with his son, and who was financially stable. Today, we stand together as one family in mourning. Kushal will always be remembered fondly as a much loved part of this family and will be missed by all of us. We stand by each other in our loss as a family and request you to please refrain from false speculations and reports on Kushal to allow his soul to rest in peace. While we do hope that this joint statement from us will put an end to any further speculation, we urge people and the media to please respect the family’s privacy, especially that of his young son and leave us to grieve (sic).”

Kushal had married Audrey in 2015, and their son, Kian, is close to four years old. The actor, who has been a part of several TV shows and films, was found hanging in his Pali Hill home.

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; December 28, 2019)

When Bombay Times met Kushal Punjabi a few months ago, he seemed very optimistic and positive about life. He opened up about his career choices, being a stay-at-home dad and also, how he was at peace with himself. Excerpts from the conversation…

HIS PASSION FOR LIFE, TRAVEL AND BIKES
Life should be more than just work. It’s tough in Mumbai, but I have managed to sail through. Sometimes, when I look back, I feel agar sirf kaam par dhyan diya hota toh I would have been far more successful as an actor, but I also feel that maybe then, I wouldn’t have lived my life the way I want to. So, I travel and I love riding bikes.

THE STAY-AT-HOME DAD PHASE
I cut down on work to be with my son. I realised that if it’s just work that we are living for, you won’t do anything else. I agree that the money is good, but your youth will never come back. I loved the stay-at-home dad phase when my son was born. But now my three-year-old son is with my wife Audrey Dolhen (in Shanghai), and I am in Mumbai, alone, with all the time to just focus on my work.

REJECTIONS AND ACCEPTANCE
I always took breaks in between my projects. I travelled and pursued different courses. At some point, I even did a bartending course in the US. My mindset was very different. I wanted to dance, perform, be on stage and act in TV shows, films and web series. It was never about ki mujhe hero banna hai ya superstar banna hai. I just wanted to perform. My potential is still untapped. However, I have no regrets. Every step of the way, I have seen rejections and acceptance.

Sometimes, I got a show that didn’t eventually work out, and at times, I declined an offer because I wanted to go on a bikers’ trip. So, meri bhi stupidity hai, because I am also not someone who would only think of my acting career. Work is a very small aspect of my life, and my career may not have taken off like others’, but there are many people who haven’t reached where I am today. I always try to strike a balance between my personal life, passions and professional life. When I am working, I was totally engrossed in that. I never did a saas-bahu show that went on for years. I love the fact that I could do a variety of roles.

FINDING A NEW SPACE IN SHOWBIZ
I don’t know if it’s to do with the mistakes that I made when it came to selecting certain projects, or if it is simply destiny. I think it was the wait for the right time, which is now, and I can feel it. My mind was occupied with a lot of other things and it’s far more focused now. I did hard-core theatre workshops recently; I have worked on myself and a lot of things internally. With the new-age content, I have suddenly found a space where I can fit into. Maybe, my career didn’t pan out the way I had expected, because it wasn’t meant to be that way. At the same time, I have travelled a lot and have had the best time, I have a loving family and wonderful friends, and that’s an achievement for me. So, in the larger scheme of things, I have made no mistakes, because career is just a part of my life. Overall, I feel that I am far more successful than a lot of people who are more known than me. I am far more at peace. On one hand, we can say that I haven’t reached where I should have, but on the other, I can claim that I am exactly where I should be. There are two perspectives and I chose to focus on the positive one. This is the right time for me. There is work for everybody, today. Now, I am starting another chapter, I am feeling younger and fitter. Age is immaterial, as I just started young. I have written a film and directed a short film and I am at a stage, where I am super positive about what’s going to happen next.


Earlier this month, Kushal Punjabi had completed an obstacle race in Mumbai. He had then told BT, “I prepared for the race without a trainer. I learnt about it only two months before the scheduled date. A workout in a gym is done in a controlled environment, so you don’t realise the strength you need for an outdoor activity. Doing weights at a gym is purely for aesthetics and self-confidence, but outdoor activities tests your agility and grit.”

The news of actor Kushal Punjabi’s suicide has left his friends in the industry shocked
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; December 28, 2019)

Most of Kushal Punjabi’s industry friends remember him as a fighter. Yes, he’s had a fair share of struggles and setbacks in his personal and professional life, but everyone who knew him closely, believed that he was the kind of man who would fight back and not give up. So, the news of his suicide on Thursday night came as a shock to them. What could have driven the 42-year-old actor to take such an extreme step?

We spoke to his close friend, actor Chetan Hansraj, who revealed, “Kushal had hit a low. He was worried about lack of work, and he was also going through a separation from his wife.” Kushal had married Audrey Dolhen, a French national, in November 2015, in Goa, and they have a three-year-old son, Kian. However, Audrey moved to Shanghai with Kian after they started having problems in their marriage. They were even contemplating divorce in the last few months.

Talking about Kushal’s recent state of mind, Chetan said, “I would often tell Kushal not to feel demoralised about work, as such phases are common in this industry. I always told him to get his life together, but little did I know that he would end it. He was with his son and had returned to India only recently.”

Chetan said, “He messaged me a couple of days back and said that we should catch up. However, a day ago, when his parents tried to reach him, their calls went unanswered. Worried, they called me, and I reached his place, but it was too late by then. I am still in a state of shock and can’t come to terms with the fact that he is not with us anymore. He was very strong and full of life.”

Kushal Punjabi, who started his career with the TV show, A Mouthful Of Sky (1995), went on to do films like Lakshya (2004), Kaal (2005) Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007). In recent years, he went back to television and was a part of shows like Zindagi Wins, Kya Haal Mister Panchaal and Sajan Re Phir Jhooth Mat Bolo. Earlier this year, he made a cameo appearance in Guddan: Tumse Na Ho Payega, and was last seen in Ishq Mein Marjaavaan.

Actor couple Shilpa Saklani and Apurva Agnihotri, who have been close to Kushal for many years now, are shaken. Shilpa said, “Till day before yesterday, we were planning to head out of Mumbai for New Year’s. Kushal was our hero. If there are 10 people standing in a frame and if I were asked to point out to a person who could die like this, I would never take Kushal’s name. He was so strong and rock solid. Professionally, he had many things to look forward to in 2020. So, Apurva and I don’t think that he ended his life because of professional lows. On the personal front, too, I know that his wife Audrey and he had planned the best things for their son. I still can’t understand why he did this. He was so brave, but then, you don’t know what happens in that particular moment…”

Rapper Baba Sehgal, who knew Kushal Punjabi for many years and had also worked with him in a couple of TV shows, regrets not being in touch with him over the past few months. “When they say you should meet your friends and keep in touch, they don’t say it just like that. You never know what they are going through. I really don’t know what made Kushal take such a drastic step. I wish he and I were in touch over the past few days.”

Actor Karanvir Bohra, another close friend of Kushal, told us, “I have known him for 16 years and the Kushal I knew was a strong man, both mentally and physically, I could never imagine he would do something like this. He was truly an inspiration for me. He would always keep honing his skills. If he was not acting, he would dance, direct, write. He was such an amazing and doting father. This also makes me think about the lives we all lead on social media. How happy are you really? Or are you leading a second life on social media? In Kushal’s case, what he posted on social media wasn’t a facade, that was real. But we could never imagine that he would do something as drastic as this. I am really shaken up.”

Actress Narayani Shastri shared, “Kushal wasn’t stressed about his work. He loved his profession and was expanding his horizons by getting into writing and direction as well. His reasons were more personal and I would not like to discuss that. Every person reacts to a situation differently, we can’t judge anything.”

Actor Karan Patel said, “In my social media post, I had written, ‘The happiest faces hide the most saddened hearts.’ I wrote that because I have known Kushal for a long time and he was a great guy. Forget being negative, he never had even a frown on his face. He was also one of the best athletes I know. He was positive, cheerful and full of life. Seeing his zest for life, I never thought that he would bid his final goodbye like this.”

— With inputs from Tanvi Trivedi

V Narayan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 28, 2019)

Mumbai: Actor Kushal Punjabi, 37, who appeared in films such as ‘Kaal’ and ‘Lakshya’ as well as the television reality show ‘Fear Factor’, was found dead in his flat at Pali Hill in Bandra (west) late on Thursday.

His parents and friends came to his flat in Alsid Apartment as he was not answering his phone at around 11.30-pm and found him hanging from a ceiling fan. Police have recovered a one-and-a-half page suicide note in which Punjabi said no one should be held responsible for his action and requested that his property be divided among his parents, sister and his three-year-old son.

Punjabi had been contemplating divorce and was depressed, the police have learnt from his family and friends. “Punjabi’s wife Audrey Dolhen, a foreign national, is employed in Shanghai and wanted him to relocate. But he was of the view that they should move to a place where he could pursue his acting career,” a police officer told TOI. Punjabi’s parents repeatedly tried to contact him since 2 pm on Thursday.

“When Punjabi did not respond despite their repeated calls on Thursday, his parents contacted his friends and entered his flat using a duplicate key. They found him hanging and took him to hospital and informed the police. A suicide note was found in which the actor held no one responsible,” said DCP (zone IX) Paramjit Singh Dahiya.

Punjabi started his career as a dancer and model, and appeared in several music videos like ‘Pehla Nasha (remix)’ and DJ Aqeel’s ‘Kehdoon Tumhain’ recreation. He debuted as a TV actor with ‘A Mouthful Of Sky’ and over the years, Punjabi featured in popular shows like ‘Kkusum’, ‘Dekho Magar Pyaar Se’, and ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’. He moved on to films in 1996 and performed alongside stars like Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra in ‘Andaaz’, and with Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta in ‘Lakshya’.

Senior inspector Vijaylaxmi Hiremath said Punjabi stayed alone in the rented flat as his wife lives and works in Shanghai. Their three-year-old son Kian lives with her. She has been informed about the incident, and a case of suicide has been registered. Punjabi’s body has been kept at Cooper Hospital and his wife and son are expected to reach by Thursday night.

In his suicide note, Punjabi wrote that “no one should be held responsible for this extreme step” and that 50% of his property and investments should be given to his son and the other 50% to his parents and sister. He asked that they should share equally his flat in Kandivli, an imported bike, and the Rs 12 lakh he has invested through his CA. The car he used was left to his mother in whose name it was registered.

Residents of Alsid declined to comment, but his close friend Chetan Hansraj, himself an actor, told TOI: “Kushal was a fighter but what he has done has left us all in shock. There are multiple reasons—family issues and work related—for him to undergo depression. I had known him for the last 20 years and he was a very cheerful person. He had been staying alone at the rented flat in Bandra for almost a year and was without work, which could be one of the reasons that took a toll on him. His wife moved to Shanghai six months ago because of the nature of her work.” The last rites will be performed on Saturday, he added.

Another actor-friend Karanvir Bohra said Punjabi’s parents are devastated. “They were saying that he was the backbone of the family. He was the one who inspired everyone and was the positive guy in the family,” he said online.