Photograph: Kind courtesy Suhani Bhatnagar/Instagram
The sudden demise of actor Suhani Bhatnagar, who made her acting debut in the 2016 blockbuster Dangal, as Aamir Khan’s daughter, has left the film industry in shock.
Suhani was undergoing treatment for dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory disease, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. The symptoms started developing two months ago with swelling in the left hand, her mother said.
Many doctors attempted to determine the cause but were unable to do so. Following that, she was admitted to AIIMS.
IMAGE: Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar in Dangal.
As she struggled to come to terms with her daughter’s loss, Suhani’s mother Pooja Bhatnagar spoke to ANI about how Aamir bonded with the family and even invited them to his daughter Ira Khan’s wedding.
“Aamir sir always remained in touch with her. He is a nice person. We didn’t inform him about her disease as we were already very disturbed. We kept it to ourselves and didn’t tell anyone. If we had even sent him a text message, he would have immediately responded and called us personally. He bonded with Suhani from the time he came to know her. We even received a proper invitation to his daughter’s marriage recently. He even called us up to say that we had to go,” Pooja Bhatnagar said.
Revealing why they couldn’t make it to Ira’s wedding, Pooja said, “Suhani was recovering from a fracture at the time and couldn’t travel.”
Sharing further details about her daughter’s disease, Pooja said, “Whatever little recognition we have in the industry was all because of Suhani. She was a brilliant girl and wanted to excel in everything that she did. However, her dreams came crashing down after she developed a swelling on her hand.”
“We thought initially that it was just a skin disease. We even took her to a few dermatologists but nothing helped. Once we admitted her to AIIMS, Delhi, she was diagnosed with dermatomyositis. However, during treatment, she developed an infection and her body started producing fluids because of which her lungs gave out and she died.”
IMAGE: Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar in Dangal‘
Aamir Khan Productions tweeted: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear about our Suhani passing away. Our heartfelt condolences to her mother Poojaji, and the entire family. Such a talented young girl, such a team player, Dangal would have been incomplete without Suhani. Suhani, you will always remain a star in our hearts. May you rest in peace.’
In Dangal, Suhani played the younger version of Babita Phogat, while Sanya Malhotra essayed the adult role. Zaira Wasim played the child version of Geeta Phogat, while Fatima Sana Shaikh played the older role.
