Prateik Babbar’s career was in resurrection mode when he joined Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor and Nitesh Tiwari for Chhichhore (2019), which went on to win a National Award. The film also turned out to be Sushant’s last theatrical release. Recalling the time spent with the actor who passed away on June 14 last year, Prateik says, “I was fortunate to work with him, even if it was for just one film. It became such a success. It’s a special film for all of us in the team. Sushant and I were acquaintances who would bump into each other at events. I’d even seen him at the gym a couple of times. I had noticed that Sushant had an aura about him, which was not like anyone else’s in the business. He was unique and he stood out. My experience of working with him was very short, restricted largely to the time we spent shooting or rehearsing our scenes together. That was the only time we bonded and got talking.”

Elaborating on how they bonded, Prateik says, “We did our readings and rehearsals together simultaneously as the shot was being set up. He was an extremely warm, fun-loving and an easy-to-talk-to kind of person. But he would also drift away sometimes into his own world. Sushant loved having conversations; not only was he always trying to have a good time on the set, but he would ensure others were having fun, too. Sushant loved talking about quantum physics, planets, stars and sciences. I still remember he wanted to visit Antarctica after shooting the film. I was blown away with that; who would think of doing that really? He did! He was curious about life and exploring it through all its avenues. He was one of a kind, who saw things differently and had priorities that were different from the herd. He was a gem of a guy.”

Prateik played an antagonist of sorts in the campus drama. Sushant and he, apart from having a few run-ins in the story, engaged in a basketball match, which was commended for its realistic feel. Bring this up and Prateik says, “We really got into the skin of our characters. That’s the only way I can explain it. Building an equation or a vibe with any character in a story is difficult. We went with the flow of the script and complemented each other in our scenes. If you felt a sense of realism in the competition between our teams and us in the film, it was because our director Nitesh Tiwari put us through some intense training and prep.”

He adds, “Sushant and I were also passionate about getting things right in the scenes. The basketball sequence took almost two weeks to shoot. We’d shoot for a few hours every day. In between the shots, Sushant and I would do hoops together. We would be fooling around with the basketball, typically like boys in a campus do. We would love doing that every day. That was one of those really nice times that we spent together filming. From there to now, when I talk about Sushant in the past tense, it feels like a shocker to me. I will always remember him as a unique guy, who was so friendly, curious and full of life.”

"The months between March and September felt never-ending," says Tahir Raj Bhasin as we catch-up for a chat. For the last few weeks, the actor has been shooting Looop Lapeta at Madh Island, post which the crew will move to Goa later this month. He says he utilised the Coronavirus lockdown time for self-reflection. "I took the time to pause and appreciate how far life has come. To merely step out of those Zoom windows and be on a set full of human contact is invigorating."

The year 2019 saw Bhasin shine in Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore, a film that created wonders at the box office and earned rave reviews. He would've kicked off 2020 with Kabir Khan's '83 if the pandemic had not played spoilsport. However, he now owns the leading man's space in the Taapsee Pannu-starrer—Looop Lapeta—a remake of German hit film Run Lola Run. "I started 2020 brimming with hope. The silver lining is that March feels pushed to October. As an actor, I play every part with a single-minded focus. My design to work doesn't change when I am playing a hero [or otherwise]. For me, when Derek [character he played in Chhichhore] walked in, he was the leader of the pack. Outside of the craft, as trajectory, I see this as the progression that's come hard earned. I feel stimulated and consciously abstain from doing similar parts. Producers are noticing that [my character in] Manto is nothing like Chhichhore, which is starkly different from Mardaani."

Consciously aware of the responsibility that lies on him and working in that direction every day, Bhasin says the opportunity feels like a dream come true. "Taapsee and I are working on creating chemistry. The film is a remake of a German cult movie, so we need to take extra efforts to make the film palatable to the Indian audience who may or may not have seen it. I had seen the film when I was in college and never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I will play a lead in its remake."

Coming up next, Bhasin has a Mahesh Bhatt series that marks the veteran director's digital debut. "The studio is looking [to release the series] by the first quarter of 2021."

THE TIMES OF INDIA (August 9, 2020)

Mumbai: Actor Rhea Chakraborty’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde has said her now deceased boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput, wrote in her notebook expressing gratitude for her, her parents, her brother and his dog Fudge. Maneshinde also said the only article of Sushant’s that Rhea possesses is a black water bottle from the merchandise of his film Chhichhore.

Last month, Rhea was booked by Bihar police for allegedly abetting Rajput’s June 14 suicide. The actor had allegedly taken his life in his Bandra home. The CBI is now investigating the case.

Posting pictures of the page titled “Gratitude List”, Maneshinde said Singh referred to Rhea’s brother Showik as Lillu, her dad Indrajit as sir, her mother Sandhya as ma’am and her as Bebu. “I am grateful for all the love in my life,” the seventh point of the letter reads. Maneshinde also posted a picture of the bottle with the line, “The only property of Sushant that I (Rhea) possess.” The lawyer, though, did not clarify if the page was handed over to the police.
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BOMBAY TIMES (August 9, 2020)

A day after being grilled by Enforcement Directorate officers probing a money laundering angle to the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, the late actor’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty shared an image of a ‘gratitude list’ on Saturday. It was allegedly penned by the late actor in her notebook. Shared with the media through her advocate Satish Maneshinde along with a photo of a Chhichhore merchandise sipper, the actress said it is “The only property of Sushant that I possess.”

In the image, a heading on the notebook page says, ‘Gratitude list’. The scrawled lines that follow list seven things Sushant was allegedly grateful for. He seemed to have been grateful to everyone in Rhea’s family — “Bebu” (Rhea), “Sir” (father Indrajit Chakraborty), “Ma’am” (mother Sandhya), “Lillu” (brother Showik) and “Fudge” (Sushant’s dog). The remaining two lines said he was grateful for his life and for all the love in it.

As the news broke early on Saturday, social media users started comparing the handwriting on a note posted earlier by Sushant on Instagram to that of the gratitude list. Most deemed the list fake. When we asked Dipak Wagle, director, Truth Labs, Mumbai, about it, he said, “The writing obtained through the lawyer’s post is not sufficient for document examination as it lacks so many letters, words, capital letters (which were in Sushant handwritten posts).” The clients of Wagle’s agency include police departments of various states.

WHAT’S A GRATITUDE JOURNAL?
A concept widely used by psychologists across the world, a gratitude journal is a medium where you jot down all the things you are grateful for. The idea is to make the person maintaining the journal focus on the positive things in life. No wonder it has earned a place as a prominent approach to positive psychology. The maintenance of a gratitude journal is also believed to help relieve depressive symptoms.

According to clinical psychologist Dr Piya Nandi, journaling can help depressed patients vent their bottled-up feelings and also feel positive. “When you are journaling your thoughts, there is no one to argue with you or create a roadblock. You have a free flowing mind to pen down your true feelings. So, journal writing is one of the key therapeutic interventions we use while treating such patients,” she said.

Director Abhishek Sharma says John Abraham-starrer Ray delayed, not dropped; discusses how pandemic affects the production
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; July 24, 2020)

After their last collaborative effort, Parmanu, delivered appreciable results at the box-office, John Abraham and Abhishek Sharma are set to reunite for Ray, which the director describes as a "film set in a different space". "I had a great experience while working with John. Ray is a special film and is an attempt at exploring a new genre. It is a contemporary [movie] that is not set in Mumbai," Sharma tells mid-day of the film that is currently being scripted.

Like it has with several Bollywood ventures, the pandemic has played mischief with their plan to kick off the shoot in January 2021. Sharma reveals that the offering will now roll after Abraham wraps up his prior commitments that have been affected due to the lockdown. "He is yet to work on Mumbai Saga and Satyameva Jayate 2. Hence, we are taking baby steps. Also, now we face a fresh challenge. There are guidelines that must be followed. We are figuring out how we can make a film in a world with Coronavirus, without making the film too expensive. Making a film in the stipulated budget while following guidelines is a task."

His last film, the Dulquer Salmaan and Sonam K Ahuja offering based on the sport of cricket, was hit-wicket at the box office. Lamenting the fact that The Zoya Factor failed to perform well despite its fresh pairing, he says, "We didn't get the kind of response that Chhichhore and Dream Girl did at the box office. These films released around the same time. We also didn't procure enough screens, which played a big role [in contributing towards its lacklustre performance]."

“The moment of Sushant’s passing should have been about him and his talent, and not us,” says Swara Bhasker as she addresses the outrage and charges that have been exchanged since his death
Anshul Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; July 23, 2020)

Over a month after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, what is your take on all the phrases the air is thick with – nepotism, favouritism, insider, outsider, mafia?
I think Sushant’s demise was a shock and a tragedy that has moved everyone – his fans, his colleagues, audiences and the industry. It seems inexplicable that such a successful, handsome and popular star with such a bright career ahead of him, sitting on a 200-crore grossing super hit film (Chhichhore) should feel the need to take his own life – it’s hard to stomach and even harder to make sense of.

There is genuine grief. I think people are just latching onto theories and possible explanations to make sense of a tragic act that seems inexplicable and too painful to accept. It’s comforting in such a time to lay the blame on someone and vilify them – it makes the pain easily consumable. I think underneath all this anger, all this need for accusations and name-calling there is genuine grief and pain in the audience and in the public. I think there is also guilt – a feeling that we didn’t appreciate Sushant enough while he was alive. And now he is gone, and we can do nothing – so almost as a praayashchit we are turning this into a cause and attacking constructed villains.

What’s your perspective on the arguments for and against the possibility that Sushant would take an extreme step?
I don’t want to speculate as to the reasons for Sushant’s unfortunate actions. It was painful to learn of it. At a personal level, it left me shaken for days, though I didn’t know Sushant personally at all.

But I think what was really tragic was the way Sushant’s death was used by certain people for their personal agendas. The media and the way it covered the tragedy was despicable. What his family was subjected to was sickening. The fact that WhatsApp groups were circulating images of his corpse – I mean it’s unbelievably insensitive. And then the accusations began, the abuse and slander of star kids and ‘insiders’ and the hate and trolling of well, everyone, including what his ex-girlfriends were subjected to. And we lost Sushant again. Really, I feel we lost him twice. The moment of his passing should have been about him. Not about us. About his talent, not our vendetta. About his successes, not our frustration. Sushant is a story of tremendous success, he should inspire us. Why are we acting like Sushant was a struggler or a failure?

Sushant in the act of his suicide pulled the cover off our glittering, glamorous world of showbiz. We are unable to accept that even if you have all the material success – the box office hits, the money, the swanky cars, the beautiful girlfriends, the new house, the fame and popularity – there may still be an aching pain, or darkness in you that can grasp you and just not let go. Shouldn’t the real lesson here be that we never know what pain another human being is in, and so we must endeavour to be kinder to each other? We must try to listen to each other, to watch for signs. And to educate ourselves about mental health. And not use this as an excuse to bully one another, be cruel, hateful and, in some cases, downright criminal (like giving rape threats and death threats).

You were in a verbal joust with Kangana Ranaut and her fans. What is the undercurrent between the two of you?
There was no undercurrent really. I was a bit taken aback by Kangana’s comments in those two interviews she gave. She called Taapsee Pannu and me “Chaaploos, chaatney waaley, needy outsider, B grade actress!” I was like wow! That’s a lot of flattering adjectives!

Honestly, I respect Kangana for the journey she has had, her body of work, I think she is a very good actress, she’s feisty and stands up for herself, which is a great quality for women to imbibe; and to many people she is an inspiring role model. I don’t have to agree with everything she says – in fact I can actively disagree with the positions she takes on various issues. And she can disagree with me. That’s okay, that’s our democratic right. And I really do not want to pull down another woman publicly or demean and degrade her – it doesn’t feel right. And as a stated feminist – it feels damaging. Whatever unpleasant personal experiences I’ve had with her in the past – and currently, I guess – I’m totally okay to let that pass, and objectively appreciate her achievements or acting.

The only thing is that she tends to make bizarre counter-factual accusations on public platforms and when she does that about me, I feel the need to set the record straight. She said in an interview, and I quote, “Swara said that my claims of nepotism are fake.” This is quite simply, untrue. I’ve never said that. I’ve in fact said that “everyone agrees nepotism exists in Bollywood”. It’s just that I think there are structural reasons for that and we need to go deeper than individual name-calling and understand that structure, if we want to change anything for the better. I actually questioned Karan Johar about the ‘feudal’ nature of Bollywood before Kangana did. So it’s bizarre to say that I – who has suffered nepotism like all outsiders – would say it doesn’t exist.

Just like she has struggled and achieved her place, so have I. I may not be the ‘highest paid actress in the industry’ but I too am an outsider who came to the industry with no contacts. I worked my way up and I now have a body of work that I stand by and that I’m proud of. I don’t care what grade someone wants to give me, that’s their right.

To me all these girls are inspiring – Taapsee Pannu, Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte and Kangana, and so many others. We are all women who have made it on our own; we are all inspiring role models for younger girls. All of us deserve to be celebrated.

The classifications that we hear about – insider/outsider,A-lister/B-lister – where do you find yourself standing, and how do you feel about such usage?
‘Insider’ ‘outsider’ is a fluid term right? Like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai were once outsiders. Ayushmann Khurrana is a great example of an outsider making it big. As far as A and B lists go – I think stardom is basically a reflection of success, power and power dynamics, and that too changes with every hit and flop that you give. I feel, stars may be classified as A and B but actors should be judged on the merit of their art and performances. We may find that some of the finest and best actors and actresses in Bollywood never made it to A lists and A-list parties. So? Does that diminish their value as artists? Is art only great if it is materially successful? Some of the greatest films, like Kaagaz Ke Phool for example, were box office duds. Today that film is taught in cinema studies classes. Our levels of debate need to be more nuanced and better informed. Also I think that people must understand that ‘outsider stars’ when they get power may behave as badly as ‘insider stars.’ Abuse of power is not dictated by where you are born.

You had tweeted that blaming Karan and Alia Bhatt for Sushant’s death because of “a silly game played on a frivolous and pointless chat show is both the height of idiocy and hypocrisy!”
I stand by my statement. We cannot become a society where murder charges and suicide abetment accusations are thrown about so casually. Karan and Alia are not my personal friends, I know them only socially. I have never worked with Dharma, I have never been invited to Karan’s parties and I’ve never been on Koffee With Karan. Many of us who are active in the industry haven’t. Maybe some of us feel left out. Does that make Karan a murderer? So Alia gave a flippant answer to a silly game on a frivolous chat show. Does that make her a murderess? Have we as a society completely lost all sense of balance, objectivity and rationality? This is the worst kind of mob mentality that we are fanning. It doesn’t bode well for us as a society. I think we all need a strong dose of rational objectivity and empathy, in these stressful times.

A LOOK AT SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT’S BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE

June 14 seemed like any other Sunday. But then, at 2 PM IST, news came in that prominent actor Sushant Singh Rajput has ended his life. It was a bolt from the blue and has led to brouhaha like never before. Instead of getting into it, let’s look at the track record of this actor at the box office.

Sushant Singh Rajput has been a part of 11 films till now. Of which, 9 have already released in cinemas. Drive released on Netflix while Dil Bechara, the official remake of The Fault In Our Stars, remains unreleased. Out of 9, 6 films were decent successes at the box office.

He started his career with Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che, released on February 22, 2013. Despite having newcomers and being a bit of a niche film, it created buzz among urban audiences. It opened at Rs. 3.68 crore which was great and it’s lifetime was Rs. 43.58 crore. The same year, he was then seen in Yash Raj Films’ Shuddh Desi Romance. This film created a bigger hype which led to a fine opening of Rs. 6.38 crore. Incidentally, it co-starred Parineeti Chopra, whose sister Priyanka Chopra’s film Zanjeer released on the same day. Zanjeer was more commercial and yet had a dismal opening of Rs. 2.84 crore. Shuddh Desi Romance meanwhile netted a lifetime of Rs. 46.26 crore. It became clear that in a span of 6 months, this newcomer had given two successive hits.

In 2014, he was seen in a 20-minute appearance in Aamir Khan’s PK. The actor rocked the show despite limited screen time and in fact, dominated the climax. It emerged as an all-time blockbuster, earning Rs. 337.72 crore.

Few months later, in April 2015, he acted in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, directed by Dibakar Banerjee. Despite being very niche, Sushant’s presence helped the film get an opening of Rs. 4.01 crore. The word of mouth was positive but wasn’t enough to attract audiences in hordes due to it’s theme. Hence, it ended it’s lifetime with Rs. 26.21 crore. This was Sushant Singh Rajput’s first flop.

1 ½ years later, in September 2016, Sushant Singh Rajput bounced back with M S Dhoni - The Untold Story. It was based on the life of celebrated cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite having a run time of 185 minutes, it had created humongous excitement and had an opening of Rs. 20.13 crore! Sadly, the word of mouth was a bit mixed. Hence, it had a lifetime of Rs. 119.09 crore. Though this was a huge figure, the high cost of the film prevented it from being hailed a ‘Super Hit’. It was, at best, a hit.

In June 2017, he gave another flop in the form of Raabta. It was a much-talked about film thanks to Sushant’s pairing with Kriti Sanon. Songs worked but trailer didn’t. Hence, the opening was poor at Rs. 4.63 crore. Word of mouth was horrible and hence, collections came down in the weekend instead of increasing. Its lifetime was just Rs. 21.68 crore.

Almost after 1 ½ years, Sushant Singh Rajput’s Kedarnath released. The word of mouth was mixed but the opening was huge, at Rs. 7.09 crore. It’s lifetime was huge at Rs. 70 crore. 6 months later, he was seen in Sonchiriya. This was an odd man out. Films like Raabta and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy at least had some sort of respectable opening. Sonchiriya, meanwhile, opened horribly at Rs. 1 crore! There was no growth and the lifetime was a mere Rs. 5.63 crore! The word of mouth was excellent but the theme was such that audiences were just not interested.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s last theatrical release was Chhichhore. It was directed by Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Fox Star Studios and Nadiadwala Grandsons. It opened at Rs. 6.92 crore which was decent. However, the word of mouth was crazy and hence, audiences went to see it in hordes. From Rs. 6.92 crore on Friday, it jumped to an insane Rs. 16 crore on Sunday! The numerous holidays in the weekdays along with public response helped the film immensely. It’s lifetime was Rs. 147.32 crore and hence, it emerged as a super duper hit!

Hence, one can see, Sushant Singh Rajput’s track record, despite flops, was quite good. Even opening day numbers were fine, though it was never record breaking in most films. Yet, the opening day figures prove audiences liked his work and came to see the films for him, amongst other reasons. It’s highly unfortunate that he’s no more today. If he was, he would have done quite well for himself and given us many more entertaining and meaningful films. RIP.

Tracing Sushant Singh Rajput's four ambitious projects, including Chanda Mama Door Ke, that faced roadblocks in the past few months and their way forward
Uma Ramasubramanian, Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 17, 2020)

With Chhichhore setting the cash register ringing last year, one would have expected Sushant Singh Rajput to ride the wave of success. However, trade data shows that four of his projects, which were in the pipeline, hit hurdles.

The announcement of Rajput's Chandamama Door Ke had garnered much excitement, with the leading man even undergoing training at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2017. However, the Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan-directed film was in a limbo for three years due to its high cost. "The sci-fi film was to be mounted on a budget of over Rs 100 crore. Sushant, the director and producer Viki Rajani were seeking investors till late last year. But the movie was indefinitely pushed because of their inability to raise the required investment," says a source close to the project.

Rajput's hopes of collaborating with Shekhar Kapur were also dashed. Their labour of love, Paani, was shelved after three years of discussion and intense prep. Kapur recounted in a live chat on Monday, "When the film was shelved, he cried a lot. I cried too…The producers said, 'We will not make Paani with Sushant. Paani will not be made.' I should have tried to make another film with him, which I didn't. I left India as I was upset."

Rifleman was among the last movies the actor signed. Abundantia Entertainment's project was based on Mahavir Chakra awardee Jaswant Singh Rawat. The film ran into legal trouble last year when the makers of 72 Hours: Martyr Who Never Died claimed they had the original rights for the biopic.

A source close to the studio informs, "We were awaiting legal clearance. The film was merely postponed and would have resumed at some point."

Curious to explore different forms of storytelling, Rajput had also announced a 12-part series about Indian geniuses to be backed by Innsaei Ventures, a content-generating platform launched by the actor with business partner Varun Mathur. "The series was to study the Indian legends Chanakya and APJ Abdul Kalam, among others. Given its vast material, the project was in development over the past two years. However, rumours abound that the series now stands cancelled," says an insider.

As reported by mid-day earlier, Ship of Theseus director Anand Gandhi was in talks with Rajput for his next project, Emergency. The ambitious nature of the movie, which revolves around a pandemic, meant that the development of the script took longer than usual. "In Emergency, Sushant was to play an anthropologist, a human culture scientist. He was deeply engaged with the material since its inception. We had also discussed my web series, Saheli. He was to play a lawyer in the project," reveals Gandhi.

The filmmaker adds that besides the two projects that are currently in the scripting stage, documentary filmmaker Khushboo Ranka had developed a sci-fi film keeping Rajput in mind. "He was to play an astronaut in it. It's too early to discuss how we will take these projects ahead; Sushant was deeply connected with these scripts," adds Gandhi.


Sushant Singh Rajput at NASA in 2017

Writer-director Rumy Jafry reveals he was to start a film with the duo in May but the pandemic delayed plans
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 16, 2020)

On Sunday, around noon, Sushant Singh Rajput died by alleged suicide, abruptly ending a 10-film career and leaving behind a legacy of sterling performances. He will last be seen on screen in casting director Mukesh Chhabra’s directorial debut, Dil Bechara, the official Hindi adaptation of John Green’s novel, The Fault In Our Stars, opposite debutante Sanjana Sanghi. The film rolled in Jamshedpur in July 2018 and wrapped up in January 2019 in Paris, where they shot at the Eiffel Tower with Saif Ali Khan joining the film’s leads for an interesting cameo.

Mirror has now learnt that the 34-year-old actor was gearing up to kickstart a new film, a rom-com directed by Rumy Jafry, also featuring rumoured girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. “The script was locked and we were to begin shooting in May. The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown delayed things,” shares Rumy, who is traumatised by the actor’s sudden demise. “I lost Irrfan Khan, then Rishi Kapoor and Wajid, and now Sushant. I am so disturbed, my father has asked me to return home to Bhopal.”

The director goes ahead to inform that the film would have started in Mumbai, moved to London, followed by an outdoor schedule in Punjab. The shoot was spread over six months and the yet-untitled film was to wrap up in November. “A rom-com, it was to explore Sushant’s dancing skills. He was a fantastic dancer and my film would have showcased him in a different light. He loved Shah Rukh Khan’s acting and Govinda’s dance and that’s why I had a full-fledged dance number with Govinda-style moves planned for our mahurat,” says Rumy, remembering SSR’s spot-on mimicry of his favourite actor, SRK.

Rumy had been in constant touch with Sushant throughout the lockdown. Describing him as a “simple and innocent boy” he recalls how the actor would hang out at his place for hours. “He didn’t have too many friends in the industry but was very passionate about his work. He kept reading my script even during the lockdown and was keen on a joint narration. He was looking forward to starting work on the film soon and every time the lockdown was extended, he would get upset because he wanted to get back to work and rehearse,” recounts Rumy, adding that Sushant had loved his wife’s cooking and also missed their meals together. “I messaged him around four to five days ago, when I learnt that his former manager Disha (Salian) had passed away. I asked him to ‘take care’ and he replied with four hearts and ‘love you sir’, promising to catch up soon.”

Following the success of the Nitesh Tiwari-directed campus drama Chhichhore, a number of other producers and directors were looking forward to collaborating with Sushant. “The industry knew that I was working with Sushant and two big producers sought my help to get in touch with him. I spoke to Sushant, but he wasn’t too keen on meeting them. His response was simple, ‘Sir, picture hi nahin karni hai abhi toh milkar kya karoonga. Jab agli picture commit karni hogi, tab mil loonga.’”

Now that the actor is no more, will he make the film with someone else? “I may never make it; it was written keeping Sushant in mind,” Rumy sighs.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 15, 2020)

In his 2019 film Chhichhore, Sushant Singh Rajput’s character Anirudh Pathak speaks to his young son about how suicide is not a solution to any problem. Call it a cruel irony of fate — yesterday, the 34-year-old actor took his own life at his Bandra residence. He was found hanging from the ceiling, and his suicide was confirmed by the police.


Sushant, who was born in Patna, was a bright student, but he dropped out of engineering to pursue a career in showbiz. In an interview with BT in 2018, he had said, “I’m trained for dealing with problems; it’s one of the first things that I learnt in my life and I thank my mother for that. Of course, it’s not like I had many problems in my life, but I was brought up in a manner that I could deal with any situation, if there was one. To think that you will never have a sticky situation in life is a problematic idea by itself. Thankfully, I was taught to anticipate trouble, which makes it a little easier to sail through. Now, you could be in a situation because of yourself or someone else. The better way to deal with it is to just do things that simply make sense to you and the rest falls into place like the pieces of a puzzle…”

Around that time, Sushant had briefly moved his residence to Lonavala from Mumbai. The shift, he had said, helped him pursue his other interests like mathematics and space exploration. “I don’t stay in Lonavala all the time, I’ve a fixed number of days there. In Lonavala, we have tractors, and we do organic farming... You love nature when you are in its lap. Birds, bees, butterflies, mountains, star-lit skies — it makes you realise that a world like that does exist. So yes, acting is just one of the things that I like doing,” he had said.

Sushant also had a knack for adding his own flavour to a character. Rarely will you find an actor who can interpret his role so well and bring so many nuances to it
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; June 15, 2020)

(The news of his demise) is tremendously shocking. I called some of my friends [in the industry] to try to come to terms with it. It is difficult for me to refer to Sushant in the past tense. I had chatted with him over messages only a week ago.

I remember working with him in Chhichhore [2019]. He was so full of enthusiasm and life; his energy was infectious. Sushant also had a knack for adding his own flavour to a character. Rarely will you find an actor who can interpret his role so well and bring so many nuances to it.

The most [striking] trait of Sushant was that he was so ambitious and had big plans for himself. Every time we would speak on the set, or even in the months after the film had released, he expressed how he wanted to do something path-breaking, be it through his roles or something else. He often said he wanted to be unique. I always thought he will go a long way since he was so ambitious.

I am unable to understand why this happened. I hope, some day, I will find the answer.

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

The news that Sushant is no more is shocking. Yes, shocking would be the correct word to describe it as he was a person full of energy and enthusiasm. He wanted to do so many things, had so many plans, so when you hear one fine day that this person is no more, it’s hard to believe. I had to call a few friends to check if the speculation was true. Turned out it was a sad reality. And that made it even more shocking.

I knew him before we collaborated on Chhichhore through common friends. I had met him on a few occasions before we started working together and grew close during the making of the film. He was like a younger brother to Ashwiny (Iyer Tiwari, wife and director) and me; so full of life and excited about the projects he was doing. He wanted to launch some things. We exchanged messages around 10 days ago. It was just a casual chat; he enquired about Ashwiny and our kids and I asked him how he was doing. He shared that he was learning coding and I told him that my son, Aaradhya, was learning it too. As always, we ended our chat saying, “Keep in touch.”