The untimely andtragic death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has elicited three more deaths, including two suicides. According to reports, Sushant’s sister-in-law passed away from shock when she heard of his death, while two young fans committed suicide.
Sushant’s sister-in-law, Sudha Devi, the wife of his cousin, couldn’t bear the loss and breathed her last in Purnea district of Bihar while the actor’s last rites were being performed on Monday, in Mumbai, reported the Times of India.
A liver cancer patient, Sudha had reportedly stopped eating when she was informed about Rajput’s death by suicide. Family sources revealed that she kept weeping and recalling Sushant’s visit to his ancestral home last year.
“Sushant’s untimely demise virtually shook her from within. She could not bear the loss,” said a family member.
Meanwhile, a young fan of Sushant, who was suffering from depression, committed suicide a day after the actor’s death. According to reports, the 17-year-old girl allegedly hanged herself at her home in Patna after continuously watching the news of the actor’s suicide on TV.
The victim’s mother told the police that her daughter was in depression because she was not performing well in her examinations. She had been watching and reading about the actor’s suicide and death on TV and social media, despite her mother’s warnings and insistence to not watch it.
When her mother went to the terrace for a stroll, the girl hanged herself inside the bedroom.
“She tied her mother’s sari to the ceiling fan to commit suicide,” said a police officer, adding that though her mother and neighbours rushed her to the hospital, she was declared dead upon arrival.
Similarly, another fan of the actor committed suicide after he learnt of his demise.
Did not know of son’s depression, says Sushant’s father
While reports have stated that the Sushant was suffering from depression and was on medication, his father K K Singh told the police that his son would often feel “low” but he did not know that he was suffering from the illness.
A senior Mumbai Police official revealed that “the family informed us that they do not know why Sushant was depressed and also did not mention if they had any suspicion on anyone.”
The police are investigating Sushant’s suicide to ascertain what might have driven the young actor to end his life.
Indian police will probe whether the Bollywood actor who committed suicide the past weekend was depressed in part due to “professional rivalry,” in a film industry that is dominated by big names and has been accused of being insular, Reuters has reported.
34-year-old Sushant Singh Rajput, who won acclaim and fans for his roles in several top-draw films, hailed from a middle-class family with no Bollywood connections – a relative rarity in the industry.
He was found dead at his residence in Mumbai on Sunday.
“There are media reports that he allegedly suffered from clinical depression because of professional rivalry. Mumbai Police will probe this angle too,” the home (interior) minister in Maharashtra, which includes the film capital Mumbai, tweeted late on Monday.
While the post mortem report says actor @itsSSR committed suicide by hanging himself, there are media reports that he allegedly suffered from clinical depression because of professional rivalry. @MumbaiPolice will probe this angle too.
Several of Rajput’s friends in the industry have written about his struggles to break through, while social media and some cultural commentators have criticised the allegedly closed culture in Bollywood, where some families have dominated for up to four generations.
And what could those ‘strong memories’ be? The time you mocked him for the motivational quotes he posted or the fact that he was a TV actor or the snide references to him possibly arising from the fact that he wasn’t a star kid but a boy from a small town? https://t.co/v861Ew0OwA
At least half a dozen accounts by Rajput’s industry colleagues suggested Bollywood’s clique-drive culture ostracised him, although none provided concrete details and it was not immediately clear who specifically they were talking about. However, hours after the actor’s death, the actor’s fans pointed fingers at Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar for driving him into depression.
“I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people who let you down so bad that you used to weep on my shoulder,” Shekhar Kapur, who was supposed to direct Rajput in a film that was eventually shelved, wrote in a tweet on Monday.
I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder. I wish Iwas around the last 6 months. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their Karma. Not yours. #SushantSinghRajput
Legendary actor Dharmendra, while expressing his condolences said: “This beautiful beloved ‘show business’ is very cruel.”
Pyaare Sushant, naa film dekhi na kabhi mila tum se ….par tere achaanak chale jaane se bada sadma laga !!! This beautiful beloved “ show business “ is very cruel. I can imagine your unbearable pain . I share the pain of your loving family and friends. pic.twitter.com/WQWHuyi1PH
When you speak the truth,you are branded a liar,Mad,psychotic. Chamcha journos write pages&pages destroying all the hard work that you might have done.Even though born in the industry, grateful for all it has given me,but dirty politics played by some can leave a sour taste . https://t.co/uR9usJitdb
Meanwhile, actress Swara Bhasker called accusations against Bollywood personalities “the height of idiocy.”
Sushant didn’t leave a note. We don’t know what he went thru. We don’t know the cause. STOP taking out ur frustration using the pain of a troubled person. He didn’t leave a note! Get it? He didn’t want to talk about it. He’s gone. Let him have his peace & his family privacy. 2/n
Veteran actor Saif Ali Khan too, became part of the conversation as he showed distaste towards the hypocrisy the film industry is indulging in, soon after Singh’s demise.
“Out of respect for him, for Sushant’s tragedy, maybe a day of silence or introspection would be a little more becoming than this outpouring of love – an outpouring of love from people who obviously didn’t care about him and people who famously don’t care about anybody else,” he stated.
“We don’t care about anybody. You know, it’s a very cutthroat line of work. But to pretend that you do care is like the ultimate hypocrisy and I think that’s an insult to the dead, you know, it’s an insult to the soul that’s gone.”
He went on to say, “Nobody really cares in this town. So to pretend they really care is, you know, it’s a little much for me, it’s a little much to digest. They’re really coming across as the most ‘feeling’ people because they want their fans to think that they’re the most, feeling people – but that’s just untrue! Just for Sushant’s memory, there should be some dignity. If nothing else, you should just create some silence. I don’t think this is the time to comment.”
Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was famous for his roles in PK and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, was found dead at his home in Mumbai. The police have said that the actor committed suicide. He was 34.
According to reports, the award-winning actor was found hanging from his ceiling in his Bandra residence, where he was living alone. While no suicide note was recovered from the scene of the incident, it is believed that the actor was suffering from severe depression.
Sushant’s sudden death has sent waves of shock across the world and many Bollywood stars including Akshay Kumar and Farhan Akhtar have condoled his death.
Absolutely shocking! He was always so pleasant, full of life and such a promising actor. Rest in peace @itsSSR. https://t.co/VHc0Y26cny
– Shocked to hear about Shushant Singh commiting suicide, life is a long beautiful inning, 34 was not the age to let go, may your soul rest in peace #ShushantSinghRajput (1986-2020) gone too soon.
Deeply sad & shocked, Humeyn Bahar se lagta hai … Sab acha chal Raha hai … Inhebkuabprob hoti hogi …. Per insaan apne andar kesi kesi Jung let Raha hota hai … Uska andaza nahi kersakte … Take care of the people around you, RIP #SushantSinghRajputhttps://t.co/lIuTG9W10J
He loved me so much…I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad….and so shocking!! pic.twitter.com/skIhYEQxeO
Sushant Singh Rajput…a bright young actor gone too soon. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti.
Sushant, you were too young and brilliant to have gone so soon. I’m so sad and upset knowing that we lived in an environment that could not help you through any troubles you may have had. May your soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/RzLrdJ4keX
Shocked to hear about Sushant Singh Rajput. This is so difficult to process. May his soul RIP and may god give all the strength to his family and friends
I can’t believe this at all… it’s shocking… a beautiful actor and a good friend… it’s disheartening #RestInPeace my friend #SushantSinghRajput Strength to the family and friends
The news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death is truly sad. What a tragic loss Deepest condolences to his family & loved ones. May his soul find eternal peace.
Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless…I remember watching #SushantSinghRajput in Chhichhore and telling my friend Sajid, its producer how much I’d enjoyed the film and wish I’d been a part of it. Such a talented actor…may God give strength to his family
Born in Patna, Rajput studied engineering in New Delhi before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. He began in television, rising to stardom in the Balaji soap Pavitra Rishta.
Sushant made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with Kai Po Che! and later starred in a plethora of films including Kedarnath, PK, Shuddh Desi Romance and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. His last appearance was in the 2019 film Drive.
Sushant’s new film Dil Bechara, co-starring Saif Ali Khan, was scheduled to release in May but was postponed because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Researchers from Vital Strategies and Imperial College, London have found that people, including children, are exposed to a high and frequent volume of tobacco, alcohol and branded fast-food product placement while watching Bollywood films.
According to reports, of the 300 films analysed from the time period 1994-2013, 93 per cent of the films had at least one occurrence of alcohol, 70 percent had at least one occurrence of tobacco, and 21 per cent films had at least one occurrence of branded fast food. Tobacco and alcohol occurrences were more common in films rated for older audiences (A-rated films) whereas fast-food depiction was prominent in movies targeted for all audiences (U and U/A rated films).
On average, tobacco products or usage was depicted four times per film, alcohol was shown or used seven times per film, and branded fast food was shown or used 0.4 time per film. Although the depiction of tobacco in these films fell during the 20-year period of analysis, the placement of alcohol and branded fast food products significantly increased. Researchers assume that the downward trend in tobacco promotion from the year 2004 could be attributed to the regulations related to tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) and WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC).
“Our study suggests that Bollywood films are contributing to promoting unhealthy behaviours in their audience, particularly children,” said Dr Nandita Murukutla, Vice President, Global Policy and Research, Policy, Advocacy and Communication, Vital Strategies.
“We hope that this study offers evidence and support to reduce the marketing of these products in films given the known health problems they cause, including obesity, heart disease and cancer.”
While research in other parts of the world has shown an association with these products being used in films and audience members also initiating use, the extent of such imagery in Bollywood cinema has been less clear.
Bollywood music composer Wajid Khan of Sajid-Wajid fame has reportedlydied from complications due to COVID-19 early Monday morning in India. He was only 42 years old.
Music composer Salim Merchant, who first confirmedthe news of Wajid’s death, said the composer was hospitalised recently at Surana Hospital, Chembur where his condition deteriorated.
“He had multiple issues. He had a kidney issue and had a transplant a while ago. But recently he got to know about kidney infection… He was on the ventilator for the last four days, after his situation started getting worse. Kidney infection was the beginning and then he got critical,” Salim said.
Following the news of his death, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Adnan Siddiqui, who have worked with the composer on several projects, expressed their grief at the loss of their “brother”.
I have just lost my brother today. Wajid bhai was more then a friend and a composer to me. May Allah Bless him Jannat. Ameen pic.twitter.com/eEo0lej1a9
In an emotional video message, Khan said thatWajid Bhai “left too soon” and prayed for the deceased.
Deeply saddened today ! I have just lost my brother today. Wajid bhai was more than a friend and a composer to me. May Allah Bless him Jannat. Ameen pic.twitter.com/wS4dxjhaVB
Wajid along with brother Sajid made their debut as music directors with Salman Khan’s Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya. Over the years, they had composed the music for several of Khan’s films including Hello Brother, Garv, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Partner, God Tussi Great Ho, Wanted, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Veer and Dabangg (1, 2 and 3). Rahat had collaborated with Wajid on several songs for Salman’s films including the super hit Tere Mast Mast Do Nain.
Bollywood also took to social media to express their shock and grief at the composer’s untimely death.
I used to call him my brother from another mother. Besides being unbelievably talented he was so gentle & sweet. I’m so heartbroken that I did not get to say Goodbye my sweet @wajidkhan7 I will miss you & our jam sessions forever. Till we meet again #RIP#WajidKhan#Gonetoosoonpic.twitter.com/RAq0pqHJwY
An irreplaceable loss for the music industry. Wajid Khan will be missed deeply but he will live on through his music and the lives he touched with it. My heartfelt condolences to the family.
Shocked and saddened to hear about the untimely demise of #WajidKhan, talented and ever-smiling…gone too soon. May God give strength to his family in this difficult time
shocked hearing this news @wajidkhan7 bhai was extremely close to me and my family. He was one of the most positive people to be around. We will miss u Wajid bhai thank u for the music pic.twitter.com/jW2C2ooZ3P
Asim Azhar, whose Bollywood plans were cut short after Indo-Pak tensions reached an all-time high, has finally released his song Humraah which was featured in the film Malang featuring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor in the lead.
The song which was originally composed and sung by Asim was replaced with a versionsung by Sachet Tandon when the situation between the two neighbouring deteriorated. The lyrics for the song have been penned by Kunaal Vermaa.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAnc5NZF0GE/
Talking about the song and the story behind its release, Asim’s close friend Hania Aamir in her Instagram stories shared, “I remember being really, really upset when things went bad [between India and Pakistan] and we found out that Asim’s voice may not be used and his name would not be anywhere. Everyone who had heard the song and knew about it was pretty upset.”
“I even had a grudge for some time,” she continued. “But for some reason, Asim was very calm about it and had no bitter taste. When the song released in someone else’s voice, Asim still did not let it bother him and he shared with us that he will make his own video and release it later.”
“If someone takes my content and uses it and doesn’t give me any credit just because two people don’t get along, I would be really annoyed,” she added. “Somehow Asim saw the bigger picture and was calm about it and talked about making his own video, which has now finally been released.”
Fortunately, Asim did receive his due credit and the singer took to social media to share his excitement.
The Delhi Police arrested a couple for committing ‘Bollywood style’ robberies. The duo, who is being dubbed ‘Bunty-Babli’ in reference to Rani Mukherjee and Abhishek Bachchan’s superhit film, reportedly committed dozens of snatchings in the city.
According to a report in India Today, the couple rode a white-coloured scooty and while the man would drive the scooter, the woman would snatch phones and other belongings as a pillion rider.
After the robberies became common, an investigation team was constituted to look into the matter. Hundreds of reports with same modus operandi were searched but nothing could be substantiated. After that, the team started to collect and analyse CCTV footage of the crime scenes as well as the escape route used by the duo. While the CCTV footage had poor resolution and the police were unable to identify the criminals through it, it was enough to give the team the couple’s physical structure.
After a tedious investigation process, the team finally managed to nab the criminals and arrest them while they were at the market to sell the stolen mobile phones. They recovered four mobile phones and one scooty from their possession.
The police revealed that the man, identified as Arjun alias Karan, was is an active criminal of central Delhi. He was involved in 31 cases and is a drug addict. Meanwhile his wife, Vaishali Kaushal is a tattoo artist and also a drug addict. The two had tied the knot a few months back and have been carrying out snatchings ever since.
Saba Qamar, who had the honour of working with Irrfan Khan in the film Hindi Medium, in a recent interview opened up on her time with the actor on set and shared that he sang a song for her the first time they met.
“I’ve learned a lot from Irrfan,” said Saba. “Working with him was nothing less than a fan moment for me throughout. As an actor, I believe that acting is actually behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances. And I actually saw that in him.”
Saba said that her on-set memories with the late actor were all about “fun conversations.”
“There was never a dull moment when he was around. We used to crack jokes with each other all the time. He always used to make me learn new things and give pro tips on life,” she said, adding that he was also very philosophical.
Recalling one her fondest memories with him, Saba shared that on their first meeting, Irrfan sang a song for her.
“When I entered the room where he was sitting, he started singing the song Badan Pe Sitaray…for me. I’ll always cherish the entire time I’ve spent with him.”
Saba further said that she wished that “things were better between our countries.”
“I am of the belief that acting is a form of blended art that shouldn’t be restricted to a particular type or even a country. It should be assorted in such a way that even we enjoy it and so do our fans and audiences. It is this assortment which I miss. I’d love to do more movies for my fans if I get any opportunity.”
To make decision-making easier for their users, Netflix has recently started sharing a list of ‘Top 10’ movies or seasons which are trending in different countries. According to a blog post from the company, the Top 10 row will be updated every day with “the most popular titles within a subscriber’s country, and the position of the row will also change depending on how relevant the shows and movies in the list are to their interests.”
As of Friday (May 1) night, the top three things trending on Netflix are Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Love Aaj Kal and Extraction, while the two films are also the top two in the Movie Category. While we all know that Diriliş: Ertuğrul is a hit among Pakistani audiences, Extraction and Love Aaj Kal are new additions to the streaming service.
Like any other Pakistani who grew up on Bollywood films, I couldn’t resist watching Love Aaj Kal. I mean Imtiaz Ali, Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aryan — bring it on. As for Extraction, because for the most part, my job does require me to keep up with the latest trends, I decided to step out of my usual romantic comedies/dramas zone and watch something different and see whether it was worth the Netflix hype.
Let’s start with Extraction. The Chris Hemsworth action-thriller has been creating a buzz since he went to India for its shoot. A day before its release, Hemsworth on social media had said that “making this film was one of the most exhausting but rewarding experiences I’ve ever had on a set.”
He further said: “We set out to make the most insane, intense action film and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.” Unfortunately, the film only made me insane with the amount of bloodshed it had it in. To be honest, I’m generally not a big fan of action films but I do enjoy them from time to time. The two-hour-long film, which I finished in three sittings, was just a Bollywood film on steroids given that a lot of actors [for example Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi] in the film were from India.
The film is focused around Tyler Rake (played by Hemsworth), a black-market mercenary and former Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldier with a troubled past. From Rake’s first scene in the film, one can tell that he is the sort of person who likes to challenge and see death in the eye. Except for a few glimpses from his past, Rake’s character isn’t adequately developed. Anyways, Rake is hired by a fellow mercenary Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani) to rescue Ovi Mahajan Jr. (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of India’s biggest drug lord (Pankaj Tripathi), from Dhaka, Bangladesh who has been abducted by Bangladesh’s biggest drug lord, Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).
The film is just one, long and bloody action sequence. There are limited dialogues and the characters just run through the narrow streets of Dhaka as they try to escape Bangladesh’s most notorious drug lord. They jump from building to building, kill countless people on the way and lockdown an entire city. The ending is as abrupt as the beginning – there is no character development or plot development. So unless you want to see only action, I’d advice you to skip the film altogether.
Now onto Love Aaj Kal. If I had to sum up the film in one word, or two, I’d say half-baked. The story, the characters, the plot, everything about the film is half-baked. The film follows the same premise as Imtiaz Ali’s first Love Aaj Kal, which had two love stories running side by side.
Zoe (Sara Ali Khan) is a free-spirited but ambitious girl who wants to make a career. She is bold, speaks her mind and does what she feels like, which sometimes gets a bit over the top. Veer, on the other hand, is a sensitive guy who looks at life differently than Zoe. The two meet in a club and while Zoe just wants to have a one-night stand, Veer decides that it’s not right because Zoe is “special”. How he decided that within an hour is beyond my understanding. Zoe gets annoyed with this and leaves his house and goes back to her life. Except Veer starts stalking her, not in the 90s way by singing songs and all, but by getting a spot at the co-working space where she sits. Soon the two grow closer and get into a relationship but Zoe’s mother who wants her daughter to become independent first urges her to not give up on her career for marriage. This confuses Zoe who then breaks up with Veer. The breakup scene was so ridiculously cringed that you cannot help but wonder how Imtiaz Ali even came up with it. What follows afterwards is a typical Bollywood story of how two people who are meant to be together will find their way back to each other. In between all this, Raghuvendra “Raghu” Singh, who is the owner of the cafe where Zoe works, narrates his 20-year-old love story to Zoe to help her understand her own feelings and make her decisions.
What I did not like about the film was first Zoe’s character. It was highly irritating and Sara’s acting was also terrible. Especially the scenes in which she was drunk or crying. In fact, her own dialogue basically sums up her acting: “Tum mujhe tang karnay lagay ho“.
It appears that all the attention was paid to Zoe and Raj’s character because Veer’s character was highly underdeveloped. We don’t understand his profession, neither do we understand why he spends his days just buzzing around Sara – does he not have his own life. And to top it all, his insecurities deriving from his parent’s relationship are summed up in a rap song, which is more confusing than explanatory.
While the plot did have its heart in the right place, the film was not engaging enough. It lacked the humour [like in Jab We Met] or simplicity [Highway] which Imtiaz usually beautifully weaves into his films. Sorry, Imtiaz, I really did try my best to like the movie but it just wasn’t happening.
Irrfan Khan’s sudden and unexpected death left millions of broken hearts across the world. The actor who had won hearts with his quiet demeanour and powerful performances left a gaping hole with his demise. Tributes poured in for the actor from across the world as his fans, colleagues and all those who worked with him remembered him.
Two days after his passing, Irrfan’s wife, Sutapa Sikdar and sons, Babil and Ayaan have released an official statement in the form of a touching heartfelt note.
Posted to Irrfan’s official Twitter account, the note celebrated the actor’s life and words. His wife Sutapa remarked that she didn’t feel alone and wanted to assure everyone that “it’s not a loss, it’s a gain”.
“How can I write this as a family statement when the whole world is taking it as a personal loss?” read the statement. “How can I begin to feel alone when millions are grieving with us at the moment?”
“I want to assure everyone that this is not a loss, it is a gain. It’s a gain of the things he taught us, and now we shall finally begin to truly implement it and evolve. Yet I want to try to fill in the things that people don’t already know.”
“It’s unbelievable for us but I would put it in Irrfan’s words, ‘it’s magical’ whether he is there or not there, and that’s what he loved, he never loved one dimensional reality. The only thing I have a grudge against him is, he has spoiled me for life.”
Read the full note below:
Irrfan and Sutapa met at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and fell in love during their college days. They shared a common love for cinema and art. In February 1995, they tied the knot and were married for 25 years.
In a recent interview, Irrfan had talked about how he wanted to live for his wife.
“What to say about Sutapa? She is there 24/7. She has evolved into a care-giving and if I get to live, I want to live for her. She is the reason for me to keep at it still,” he had said.
Sutapa, herself is a film dialogue writer, with films like Khamoshi, Shabd and Kahaani to her credit. She later turned producer with Madaari (2016) and Qarib Qarib Single (2017), both starring Irrfan in the lead.
