The actor talks about his close friend Samir Sharma, whose death by suicide has left him shattered
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; August 8, 2020)

Actor Samir Sharma’s death by suicide has left his friends in the industry devastated. Samir Soni, who was a very close friend of his, was in a state of shock when we contacted him on Thursday. Though yet to come to terms with the news, he spoke to BT, yesterday.

Soni said, “He was very creative and intelligent, and over the years, we have had some interesting conversations. He was passionate about music and wouldn’t sleep for days if he was composing something. He also wrote poetry, and he used to share his music and poems with me.”

They had first met on the sets of the TV show, Dil Kya Chahta Hai, more than a decade ago. Soni recalled, “Though we became friends almost instantly, we lost touch over the years. It’s only in 2019 that we reconnected again. Like I said, he was a crazy genius and he had his highs and lows. As a friend, I have always supported him, whenever he needed me. Samir was a great guy and a gentleman in the true sense.”

The two had met last week. Narrating an incident, Soni said, “In June, he had borrowed my car to go to Pune. Unfortunately, he met with an accident on the way, but did not inform me. A few days later, the police informed me that they had found my car by the side of the road. However, when I asked Samir about it, he denied meeting with an accident. I didn’t prod him further. Almost a month passed and I started feeling that all was not well with him. So, last week, I visited him at his Malad residence. That’s when he apologized for the accident, and I told him that it was okay. Since he was not feeling well that day, I left within a few minutes. And then, a few days later, I hear that he has hanged himself in his flat! I kept crying all day after I heard the news. I still can’t believe that he has gone from our lives. I just wish he had reached out to someone if he was going through personal issues.”

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 22, 2020)

“I was trolled by so many of Kangana Ranaut’s fans. I thought I had made my point, but there were so many saying all kinds of stuff, so I said there’s no point carrying on with it, I took it off. Not that I think I wrote anything wrong,” says actor Samir Soni when asked about what prompted him to delete his Instagram post he put up on Sunday.

Soni had hit out at Ranaut for her recent interview on actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. “... I’m against anyone (including Kangana) who are using his death to settle their own personal scores. Deplorable… Stop shooting your gun off a poor dead man’s shoulder...” he wrote.

Talking about what made him write this in the first place, the actor, 51, says, “My personal opinion, which differs from a lot of people, was that stories around Sushant’s mental health are extremely valid, given the number of suicides we have among youngsters. I thought that should have been discussed (in the TV interview). But Kangana just hijacked the whole thing, and people went on a witch hunt against certain names holding them responsible ignoring the main issue of mental health that should have been the focus.”

Soni felt that the reason behind the drastic step Rajput took was ‘worth examining’ as it could have helped a lot of people.

The deleted post, he says, did garner some support. He adds that the way Ranaut spoke, made him feel that she had “issues” with all the people she mentioned in her interview, and she was “using Rajput’s death to get even”.

He explains, “I’m not saying Sushant wasn’t under pressure. So, what a responsible person would have done is — attack these people, fair enough — but also explore other possibilities.”

Soni admits he got “really upset” when Ranaut levelled allegations against a host of people including Javed Akhtar, Mahesh Bhatt and Aditya Chopra. “It was just ‘me, myself and I’. It came down to Mahesh Bhatt throwing chappals, Javed Akhtar saying suicide… it has become a tamasha,” asserts the actor, who was part of a debate on the same news channel a day after Ranaut’s interview.

Soni, responding to writer Apurva Asrani’s tweet that he “lied on the news” about Rajput’s psychiatrist calling him bipolar, says that he didn’t make it up. “Just google it. Even if he wasn’t bipolar, it’s at least worth examining what he was being treated for. It’s not like I fabricated. I said if this is one of the stories that came out, isn’t it good journalism to at least enquire? Let’s assume those stories are wrong, he wasn’t bipolar, the doctor wasn’t treating him. Even then we know he was being treated for depression or some mental issues. We should just explore that,” he says.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 24, 2020)

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden death affected people in showbiz in many ways. Some spoke about nepotism while others discussed mental health. Actor Samir Soni was disturbed, too, and made a shocking admission in an Instagram post. “It could have very easily been me,” he wrote.

Explaining his post, Soni, 51, says, “I understand the pressures of showbiz, which is why I wrote that. This business is unpredictable... It can get frustrating if after working non-stop, you have no work for months. One hit makes you famous, but give a few flops and people might forget you.”

The writer-director cites examples in the industry such as late actor Rajesh Khanna and actor Kumar Gaurav — both had major highs and lows in their careers. “In a low phase, sometimes one can’t see light beyond the darkness. You wait for that one phone call which can change your career. I have been there and so I could relate to the darkness. One has to be very strong mentally to survive in this business. It is not just about talent... It is a business at the end of it all,” he says, adding, “I’d tell young actors to act because you enjoy it, but be prepared for the long wait between projects. too. Even now, due to Coronavirus, a number of films will suffer and so will the careers of many actors, filmmakers and technicians.”

Soni debuted with Rajkumar Santoshi’s China Gate (1998) but his career didn’t pan out as expected. “When I was launched in a huge film, I was told I had a bright future, but once the film flopped, I didn’t get any work. My first marriage, too, fell apart... It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to react. I’d get panic attacks. For almost a year, I’d stay at home in bed... I was in counselling for two years,” he shares. Later, he thought Baghban (2003), which was a super hit, would translate into a lot of work, but it didn’t. “I didn’t get any film for three months, but this time I was stronger... I am glad I decided to transition into TV and saw success in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. I did a number of films including Vivah (2006), Fashion (2008) and many TV shows such as Parichay, and web shows including Puncch Beat, too. I am happy with my career and life,” adds Soni.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; March 29, 2018)

Samir Soni, who made his directorial debut this year with My Birthday Song, is all set to return to acting. The actor, who was seen in an important role in Punit Malhotra’s I Hate Luv Storys, is reuniting with the director for his next, Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY 2). Samir has been roped in to play a college principal, the role that was essayed by Rishi Kapoor in the first part.

Says Samir, “SOTY 2 is a fresh story, only the franchise is being carried forward. Rishi is the finest actor we have. He did a fabulous job in the first part and people remember him. I am nervous and excited to step into his shoes, although it’s not the same character. I’m  looking forward to the challenge.”

Like Rishi, will he also play a gay character? “No, he is not gay, but he has his own quirks. He is not the normal, boring principal. He will make you laugh and smile. It’s a film about students, so there will be a fun element,” smiles the actor who is excited about working with Punit again.

“Punit and I hit it off during I Hate Luv Storys and we have been in touch since then. Still, I was pleasantly surprised when he called me for SOTY 2. Apart from the role being interesting, I have had a fabulous experience with Punit and making a comeback with a Dharma film is good,” says the actor, who was missing from films for a while. “After I Hate Luv Storys, I did some independent films, but they haven’t released yet. And since I got busy with my directorial venture, people thought I didn’t want to act, but acting is my first love,” quips Samir.

Though this will be the first time he will share screen space with Tiger Shroff, who plays the lead role, Samir has met him socially and finds him to be a “sweet chap”. “What’s interesting is that my wife Neelam has worked with Jackie Shroff earlier and now I am working with his son, Tiger,” laughs Samir.

The actor will be flying to Dehradun next month for the first schedule of the film. “Shooting begins around mid-April,” signs off Samir.