Sushant Singh Rajput dies at 34; Nagaland remembers a kind hero

Eastern Mirror Desk

Dimapur, June 14 (EMN): Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, whose reputation in Nagaland extended beyond his cinema fame, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 34 on Sunday.

Police have said it was a case of suicide.

“He has committed suicide at his residence in Bandra. He was found hanging today. We are investigating,” Manoj Sharma, additional commissioner of police, Western region in Mumbai, told PTI.

The actor’s former manager, 28-year-old Disha Salian, had ended her life by jumping off a high rise building on June 9.

Ironically, in Rajput’s last screen appearance, ‘Chhichhore’, he had played the role of a father whose son attempts to commit suicide.

The last social media post shared by the actor, who hailed from Patna, was dedicated to his mother, who passed away in 2002 when he was a teenager.

Rajput made his movie debut with Kai Po Che! in 2013 and went on to star in films such as Shuddh Desi Romance, Raabta, Kedarnath and Sonchiriya.

However, he is best remembered for his portrayal of the Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2007 biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.

Real life hero

In Nagaland, perhaps his star shone brightest away from the cinematic universe. It was his incredible act of generosity and kindness during a time when Nagaland was being assailed by nature’s fury that he won the hearts of people here in the state.

In 2018, when Nagaland was suffering through one of the worst natural disasters in the form of floods and landslides, the actor had personally visited the state and donated INR 1.25 crore.

“Shocked and saddened to hear about the untimely demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. He personally handed over a cheque to me when Nagaland was affected by floods and landslides in 2018. His love and generous contribution to the people of Nagaland will always be remembered. May his soul RIP,” tweeted Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

Plot twist

Rajput’s untimely death was one that provoked mourning among his Bollywood peers and friends, naturally, as well as those outside the movie circle.

Given his role as former India captain MS Dhoni, cricketers and cricket (IPL) teams tweeted their grief. The impact was such that it prompted mournful tweets even from the Australia cricketer David Warner, and Isa Guha, the former England cricketer turned commentator.

The sombre mood was, however, captured most succinctly by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the IPL team for which MS Dhoni plays.

Dhoni is rated as one of the best, if not the best, finishers in the history of cricket. “A finish we never expected,” read the CSK tweet, which was accompanied by a picture of Rajput as Dhoni from the movie.