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Associated Press

Agence France-Presse

Popular Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Sunday, police and Indian media reports said.
Mumbai police spokesperson Pranaya Ashok confirmed the death and said the 34-year-old actor had taken his own life.
Rajput, renowned for his numerous hits on the big and small screens, reportedly battled depression. His death comes just a few days after the shock death of his former manager Disha Salian.

“It pains us to share that Sushant Singh Rajput is no longer with us,” Rajput’s management team said in a statement.
“We request his fans to keep him in their thoughts and celebrate his life, and his work like they have done so far.”
Born in Patna in the Indian state of Bihar, Rajput quit his studies in engineering to pursue a career in acting and dance. He started as a TV actor and got his big break in Bollywood in 2013 with director Abhishek Kapoor in Kai Po Che, based on the book by Chetan Bhagat. The film, about cricket, love and politics, won acclaim at the Berlin film festival.
Rajput played former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the 2016 film M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. Among his other movies are Kedarnath, Sonchiriya (Golden Bird) and Raabta (Connection). He was last seen in the 2019 Netflix film Drive.
Rajput spoke in 2016 of the emotional roller coaster he went through filming the Dhoni biopic, which included retelling the death of the ex-skipper’s former girlfriend. “It was very difficult because, after we did the preparation, in my head I was him and everything that was happening was actually affecting me,” he said.

Social media was flooded with condolences for the actor, with many reacting to the news with disbelief.
“Sushant Singh Rajput … a bright young actor gone too soon,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. “He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti.”

Sushant Singh Rajput...a bright young actor gone too soon. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2020

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar wrote on Twitter, “Honestly this news has left me shocked and speechless”.
“I can’t believe this at all … it’s shocking … a beautiful actor and a good friend … it’s disheartening,” actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui tweeted.
“I will miss him so much,” tweeted Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan alongside a selfie with Rajput. “His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile.”

He loved me so much...I will miss him so much. His energy, enthusiasm and his full happy smile. May Allah bless his soul and my condolences to his near and dear ones. This is extremely sad....and so shocking!! pic.twitter.com/skIhYEQxeO
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) June 14, 2020

Bollywood is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of two luminaries, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor, in April.
In early June, Wajid Khan, one of the top composers of Bollywood dance songs, died at the age of 42 after contracting coronavirus, according to media reports.
Celebrated filmmaker Basu Chatterjee passed away just a week ago. He was 90.
Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi actor Irrfan Khan dies at 53
Mumbai, India’s financial hub and home to Bollywood, has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the business of entertainment to a complete halt in the country.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.


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India

Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, found dead in Mumbai home

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in his Mumbai residence on Sunday. Photo: AP

An ambulance carrying the body of Indian Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput is seen leaving after he took his own life, at his residence in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. - A young Bollywood heartthrob lauded for his portrayal of cricket star M.S. Dhoni on the silver screen has taken his own life, Mumbai police said on June 14, the latest in a string of deaths to rock India's entertainment industry. "Police found Sushant Singh Rajput's body at his residence on June 14 afternoon," Mumbai police spokesman Pranay Ashok told AFP, confirming that the 34-year-old had taken his own life. Rajput, renowned for his numerous hits on the big and small screens, reportedly battled depression. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP)

FILE- In this April 17, 2017 file photo, Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput poses during the trailer launch of his film 'Raabta' which means contact in Urdu language, in Mumbai, India. Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Sunday, Press Trust of India and other media outlets reported. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor dies at 67 after leukaemia battle

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor. Photo: AP

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 19, 2018 Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor (L) and Amitabh Bachchan (R) attend the song launch event for their comedy-drama Hindi film "102 Not Out" in Mumbai. - Bollywood mourned its second loss in as many days as celebrated actor Rishi Kapoor, whose career spanned half a century, died April 30, 2020, aged 67 after a prolonged struggle with cancer. His death came as a severe blow to the Hindi movie industry and film lovers, who were already reeling from the death of Irrfan Khan, one of the country's most feted actors, on April 29 aged just 53. (Photo by - / AFP)

‘King of Bollywood’ Shah Rukh Khan and Will Smith in star-studded India coronavirus benefit concert

A woman watches Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan singing during the ‘I For India’ concert live on Facebook on a television screen in New Delhi. Photo: AFP

Bollywood celebrities join outpouring of grief as pregnant elephant dies eating firecracker-filled pineapple that exploded in its mouth

The elephant died standing in a river while trying to soothe its wounds. Photo: Facebook

Can Bollywood be the bridge that binds India and China?

Aamir Khan in Dangal. Photo: Walt Disney Studios

In this photograph taken on November 16, 2016, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan speaks during an interview with AFP in Mumbai. Indian screen icon Shah Rukh Khan has starred in dozens of Bollywood blockbusters and is adored by millions, but there's a movie he still dreams of making -- one that's a truly global hit. / AFP PHOTO / PUNIT PARANJPE / To go with AFP story 'India-entertainment-film-Bollywood-Khan,INTERVIEW' by Peter HUTCHISON

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2014, file photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping, upon his arrival at a hotel in Ahmadabad, India. Modi won a second term in office in May, 2019, by presenting a muscular image to voters by ordering an air strike inside Pakistan in response to a suicide attack on Indian paramilitary forces in troubled Kashmir ahead of national elections. India faces challenge from China as it is continuing to encircle India, carry on with the belt and road initiative and befriend its longtime rival Pakistan. But their relations have shown a thaw with Beijing recently deciding against blocking the designation of Pakistan-based Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)

Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar in Dangal. Photo: Walt Disney Studios

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The actor, who played Indian cricket star M.S. Dhoni in a film biopic, was described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘bright young actor gone too soon’
His death comes as Bollywood is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of two luminaries, Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor



The actor, who played Indian cricket star M.S. Dhoni in a film biopic, was described by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘bright young actor gone too soon’.


Asian cinema: Bollywood

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