8 Indian actors who have committed suicide
The death of Pratyusha Bannerjee, best known for her performance in the seriel Balika Vadu, has left the entire Hindi entertainment industry shocked. While plenty of theories have been floating around - from depression, problems with her boyfriend, to family issues, among others, whatever may be the reason, Pratyusha joins a list of other such actors and actresses who have taken the extreme step of ending their lives, in an industry which looks glitzy and glamorous from the outside, but can be lonely and filled with problems, inside.
We take a look at eight celebrities who committed suicide, while at the prime of their lives:
Jiah Khan: Best known for her role in the film Nishabd, opposite Amitabh Bachchan, Jiah Khan was found hanging in her apartment in Juhu, Mumbai on June 3, 2013. The British-American actress, model and singer had been dating actor Sooraj Pancholi at the time of her death, and her mother blames the actor for having driven her to take her life. Her case has taken a number of nasty turns and, according to the Central bureau of Investigation (CBI) a letter written by her speaks about how she was pregnant at the time, and had aborted her child due to Sooraj’s insistence. She was also reportedly upset that he career was not going the way she wanted it to.
Nafisa Joseph: VJ and winner of the Miss India Universe 1997 title, Nafisa Joseph was found hanging from ceiling of her flat in Versova in July 2004. She was due to marry her businessman fiance in a couple of week’s time, when she found out that he was still married, depsite his having claimed that he had divorced his wife two years ago. This, reportedly, led her to take the extreme step.
Divya Bharti: The young actress left the entire industry shocked when she fell to her death, while still at the prime of her career, in 1993, at the age of 19. Plenty of conspiracy thoeires have been floating around about the actual reason for her death, and it still remains unanswered as to whether she had actrually committed suicide or had fallen by accident. She had been married to producer and director Sajid Nadiadwala for 11 months at the time of her death.
Guru Dutt: A deteriorating relationship with his wife Geeta Dutt, and a failed relationship with actress Waheeda Rehman was what allegedly led the iconic actor and director to take his own life, on October 10, 1964. He died by taking a combination of sleeping pills with alcohol.
Silk Smitha: The South Indian sex symbol Vijaylakshmi, better known as Silk Smitha, was found hanging from the ceiling of her residence in Chennai on 23 September, 1996. A number of reasons have been cited for her taking the step – from financial problems, to alcohol dependency, problems in her career, depression and a failed relationship.
Kuljeet Randhawa: Former Gladrags model, TV show host and actor, Kuldeep Randhawa committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan at her Juhu apartment on 8 February, 2006. She had left behind a note saying that she was unable to cope with the pressures in her life, and hence was taking her life.
Sai Prashanth: One of the most recent deaths to have rocked the South Indian film industry is that of Tamil TV actor Sai Prashanth, who committed suicide by mixing poison in his drinks, on 15 March, 2016. He was just 30. In a suicide note left by him, he wrote that no one should be blamed for his death. According to the police, the reason for his death could be depression and loneliness.
Uday Kiran: Filmfare award winning Telugu actor, Uday Kiran died on 5, January 2014, at the age of 33. He had committed suicide by hanging himself in his flat in Hyderabad. He was reportedly suffering from depression due to his financial problems, and an engagement with actor Chiranjeevi’s daughter, that had been cancelled.
