Did You Know? - The Tragic Truth Of Suicides In Bollywood
Did you know that more Bollywood celebrities have allegedly committed suicide in the last five years than at any other time before?
Did you know that more Bollywood celebrities have reportedly committed suicide in the last five years than at any other time before? Financial insecurity is the top-most reason, insiders say, followed by personal problems. Two years of the Covid-19 pandemic had caused uncertainties that are still having debilitating effects, with production delays and mounting debts. Failure at the box office of many top films featuring super-A lister artists and writers added to Bollywood’s woes.
Ace art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s suicide earlier this week has once again highlighted the uncertainties of being in tinsel town where each one is for himself/herself with little by way of social security. He was said to be in huge debt.
Did you know that debts contributed hugely to Guru Dutt’s death? It was supposed to be suicide, while his brothers insisted that it was a fatal combination of alcohol and sleeping pills. But old-timers reportedly say a highly emotional Guru Dutt had been dissuaded from committing suicide thrice before.
Did you know that sleeping pills were the last resort Silk Smitha took? A sought-after erotic actress of the 1980s, Silk Smitha appeared in over 450 films in her career which spanned 17 years. She became a major sex symbol in the industry. She was found dead in her apartment. Being jilted in love, mounting debts due to the failure of films she produced and depression at not getting the roles she desired added to Silk Smitha’s demise. Her life inspired the movie ‘Dirty Picture’ in which Vidya Balan played the stellar role.
Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted only last month on the charge of abetting Jiah Khan’s suicide. The British-American actor Jiah committed suicide on June 3, 2013. Jiah Khan made her debut in Bollywood in Ram Gopal Verma’s Nishabd in 2007. For the role opposite Amitabh Bachchan, she earned a nomination for Filmfare award for Best Female Debut. She made another notable performance in the 2008 Aamir Khan film ‘Ghajini’. She was found hanging in her Juhu residence in Mumbai.
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide shocked Bollywood. What followed was a media trial for Sushant’s last girlfriend, Rhea Chakraborty. Arrested and jailed, she got her bail after a long time and then faced hostile media.
Crime Patrol actor Preksha Mehta committed suicide at her residence in Indore. Her body was found hanging from a ceiling fan by her family members. She was suffering from depression and expressed her disappointment regarding her career and failed relationships in her suicide note.
Film and television actor Kushal Punjabi, found dead at his residence in Pali Hills in Mumbai, was also suffering from depression. It ended a promising career as a dancer and model. He also acted in movies such as Lakshya, Kaal, Salaam-e-Ishq and Dhan Dhanaa Dhan Goal.
Actor Jeetendra’s cousin Nitin Kapoor jumped from a building on March 14, 2017. Nitin was married to South Indian female actor Jayasudha. According to his wife, he was suffering from a bipolar disorder.
Do you remember Pratyusha Banerjee who played ‘Anandi’ of the TV serial Balika Vadhu after Avika Gaur relinquished that role? Pratyusha was found dead in her Mumbai apartment on April 1, 2016. Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii fame, Samir Sharma was found dead at his Mumbai residence on August 6, 2020.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), “an estimated 703,000 people a year take their life around the world. For every suicide, there are likely 20 other people making a suicide attempt and many more have serious thoughts of suicide. Do you know that a failed suicide attempt leaves deep scars on the life of the survivor?
