Sushant’s case is a long drawn battle: Ananth
We should take a back seat and let the authorities do their job but also not let the case be forgotten.
With the ongoing investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and its media coverage, filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan is of the opinion that the media has gone overboard and “given it precedence over other issues in the country”.
He adds, “With new information every day, there are so many conspiracy theories including if it was a health issue that led him to take his life or professional pressures that brought him down or maybe it was a mix of both. Sure, showbiz has that appeal which interests the media and public but with so many factors being talked about, it’s making a muddle of the investigation.”
Mahadevan states that there have been a number of suicide/ mystery deaths including Marilyn Monroe, Divya Bharti, Jiah Khan, Disha Salian and now Sushant, “which often don’t have proper closure”. He says, “Would we get answers in his case? Are we in for a long drawn battle? Moreover, this case has, inadvertently, exposed the dealings within the glamour world. The case has thrown light on how ruthless it can be. Questions about nepotism etc. have risen from this and how you end up being distraught and cut up by peers. You feel isolated and things drive you to a point where you take your own life.”
Talking about the investigation, the director says these things take time as one has to make sense of all factors.
“Now, things like his personal relation, accounts, his mental health are being looked at. It could be all of them put together, which we will know in due course. It is a huge question mark as of now. But, the film industry can surely learn lessons from this case. In this business, the pressure can kill you as you have a public image. As for the coverage, we should take a back seat and let the authorities do their job but also not let the case be forgotten like many others in the past,” he signs off.
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Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise has put the spotlight back on mental health, as it’s being alleged that the actor was “clinically depressed and bipolar”. While it’s good that such conversations are happening, actor Shama Sikandar feels that these discussions are getting “shallow”.
“People are making a joke out of mental illness. Everyone is talking about Sushant’s mental health. But did you know him personally? I didn’t, so I can only talk about the issue,” says Sikandar, who battled depression and spoke about being a bipolar.
She is surprised how those who don’t know much about it are openly expressing their opinions. “Everyone is talking about it, but what do you know about it? Ask me, I’ve been through it,” she says, adding, “Don’t mix mental health with what you think is a murder or suicide. If Sushant is being wronged, I also want a CBI enquiry. But why speculate before investigation is done?”
Referring to the theory that Rajput didn’t leave a suicide note and that’s why a foul play is being suspected, Sikandar says, “I also didn’t when I tried to commit suicide. I told my mother I wanted to rest, went to my room, took sleeping pills and went to bed. When I didn’t wake up for hours, my family found out. I’m not saying Sushant took his life. I’m saying you don’t know how someone who’s suffering behaves.”
Urging people to not make fun of such ailments, she adds, “Hum mazak mein bolte hai, tujhe depression hai kya!? It does affect the other person. Not everyone wants or knows how to talk about it.”
She adds, “Those claiming to be Sushant’s friends, where were they when he needed them? Why is someone understood only after his death? Extend this love when the person is alive. Hope these discussions would make people more aware about such things.”
Actor Anupam Kher, who shared screen with Sushant Singh Rajput in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) took to social media and urged everyone to raise their voice so that the late actor’s family can get justice and closure.
He started the video saying: “Doston main soch raha tha ki Sushant Singh Rajput ki mrityu ka kissa June 14 se ab tak jaha pahucha hai, itne utaar aur chadhav ke baad, toh isspar na bolna, aankh moondne wali baat hai. I haven’t spoken on it for too long and maybe a lot of people don’t want to talk about it because they don’t know what to say. But now, the situation is such that without pinning the blame on someone, it is our responsibility that we take this to a logical end. As a co-star and as a human being... he is someone’s son, someone’s brother...”
Talking about the various theories floating around is death, Kher added, “We may agree or disagree but we need to ask whatever has happened should have an ending for the sake of his family and fans who are seeking for justice. We need to tell them that we are with them in this fight for justice...
Aankh moondna kaayarta ki nishaani hai, aur kaayar hona achhi baat nahi...”
Along with the video, the veteran actor wrote a lengthy post on Instagram.“sushant Singh Rajput. This is the least we owe him. This is the least we can do for him. Sushant’s family deserves to know the truth. His friends, colleagues, loved ones and millions of fans who loved him deserve to know what caused his death...” he wrote.