Photograph: Kind courtesy Tunisha Sharma/Instagram
Television actor Tunisha Sharma was founding hanging on the sets of a serial in Mumbai on December 24, one more instance of a showbiz aspirant allegedly taking the extreme step.
The death of 21-year-old Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul actor has led to the arrest of her co-star Sheezan Khan for alleged abetment to suicide.
Here are some deaths in the entertainment industry that shocked us all.
Vaishali Thakkar
Photograph: Kind courtesy Vaishali Thakkar/Instagram
On October 16, the Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor was found dead in her Indore home. Police officials claimed they have enough evidence against Thakkar’s former boyfriend Rahul Navlani and filed an abetment of suicide case.
Asif Basra
IMAGE: Asif Basra in Wrong Side Raju.
Known for starring in movies such as Jab We Met, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Kai Po Che!, Basra was found hanging in his home in Dharamsala in November 2020. He was 53.
He was last seen in The Family Man 2 and Sooryavanshi.
Samir Sharma
Photograph: Kind courtesy Samir Sharma/Instagram
Samir was found hanging from the fan of his kitchen on August 6, 2020 in the north west Mumbai suburb Malad, where he lived alone. His credits include hit television shows like Kyunki… Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Left Right Left.
Sushant Singh Rajput
Photograph: Kind courtesy Sushant Singh Rajput/Twitter
The death of the Chhichhore star, who was found hanging in his Bandra, north west Mumbai, home on June 14, 2020, continues to cast long shadows over the industry. The 34-year-old former television actor’s death is still the centre of debates on nepotism and powers enjoyed by big production houses in the Hindi film industry.
Kushal Punjabi
Tuesday will mark the third death anniversary of actor-model Kushal Punjabi, who was hanging in his apartment on December 27, 2019.
Known for films such as Kaal and Lakshya as well as the reality show Fear Factor, the actor left behind a suicide note in which he said nobody should be held responsible for his death.
Preksha Mehta
Photograph: Kind courtesy Preksha Mehta/Instagram
The Crime Patrol actor was found dead in her home in Indore. The 29 year old, who hanged herself, left a suicide note.
Pratyusha Banerjee
Photograph: Kind courtesy Pratyusha Banerjee/Instagram
The actor, who became a household name through the popular television soap, Balika Vadhu, was found hanging in her Mumbai apartment on April 1, 2016. She was 24. Her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh is accused of allegedly abetting her suicide.
Jiah Khan
IMAGE: Jiah Khan in Nisabdh.
The British-American actor, best known for films such as Nishabd and Ghajini, was found hanging at her Mumbai residence on June 3, 2013 by her mother Rabiya Khan. She was 25.
Her death was deemed suicide and reconfirmed as suicide in 2016, following an extensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation and a hearing at the Bombay high court.
The case is being probed by the CBI, which has charged her boyfriend, actor Sooraj Pancholi, for allegedly abetting her suicide.
Vijaylakshmi/Silk Smitha
IMAGE: Silk Smitha on the Miss Pamela poster.
As Silk Smitha, Vijaylakshmi reached the iconic status of a sex symbol in Tamil cinema during the 1980s.
The actor died at the age of 33 in 1996 following a suspected suicide. She had over 200 films to her credit, which include Vandichakkaram and Moondru Mugam.
Nafisa Joseph
IMAGE: Nafisa Joseph on Movers & Shakers.
The former Miss India and video jockey was found hanging at her residence in Versova, north west Mumbai, in 2004 at the age of 25.
Joseph, who won the Miss India title in 1997, had worked as a model and had been involved in activities related to animal rights.
Kuljeet Randhawa
IMAGE: Kuljeet Randhawa in Special Squad.
In 2006, the model-turned television actor, known for starring in the high-school drama Hip Hip Hurray!, suspense serial Kohinoor and crime thriller drama Special Squad, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in her single room apartment in the north west Mumbai suburb of Juhu. She was 25.
