New Delhi: The glamour and glitz of tinsel town is known to many, the dark side to few. In the recent past, many celebrity suicides have made it to the front page of news, the latest shocker being that of actress Pratyusha Banerjee.
A common thing seen in all these suicides is the role of a relationship which did not go well as imagined. These actresses seemed to get into a relationship with someone who either cheated on them, abused them, or treated them unworthily. The alarming rise in suicides, forces us to re-think our approach towards mental illness and the notion of happy couples.
The bottom line of all these cases is that being part of the industry may be alluring, but dealing with the cut-throat competition is more difficult than one would imagine. Dealing with it all alone is not easy and if one chooses the wrong person to share worries, the condition only worsens.
Here is a closer look at all these suicide cases:
Pratyusha Banerjee:
Pratyusha became a household name when she essayed the role of grown up Anandi in ‘Balika Vadhu’. She was found hanging from her ceiling fan and since then her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh has come under scanner. Pratyusha’s friends have alleged that Rahul used to abuse her, live off her money and also that Rahul’s ex-girlfriend had beaten her.
Close friends of Pratyusha said that she was quite chirpy and never had suicidal intentions. Her last WhatsApp status, ‘Mar Ke Bhi Munh naa Tujse Modna’; pointed out that how madly in love with Rahul she was.
Jiah Khan:
While many still try to figure out what do with their lives at the age of 19, Jiah Khan shot to stardom with ‘Nishabd’. She starred opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan and her career shone bright. But, it didn’t. Jiah ender her lives on June 3, 2013 as she hung herself from a ceiling fan in her Juhu residence.
Since her death, a lot has been written and said about it. Jiah’s not so happy relationship with actor Sooraj Pancholi depressed her to a point that she took such a drastic step. A CBI investigation alleged that Sooraj extricated Jiah’s foetus and flushed it, something which send shockwaves across the nation. While Sooraj has always pleaded innocent, said that no one can replace Nafisa’s (Jiah) place in his life and her decision was uncalled for him; Jiah’s mother Rabiya has quite a number of times said that her daughter was murdered.
Also Read: “Pratyusha didn’t commit suicide but played a prank on Rahul”
Kuljeet Randhawa:
On February 8, 2006, Kuljeet who appeared in hit TV show 'Hip Hip Hurray', and later in 'CATS, ended her life because she couldn’t cope up with pressures. In her suicide note, she mentioned that no one is to be blamed for her suicide, but few cited that her tumultuous relationship with boyfriend and former co-star Bhanu Uday, could have been a major reason. Short on finances, Kuljeet’s death set yet another example that getting into the industry and surviving it are two different battles.
Also Read: Sooraj is inhuman and 4 other things Jiah Khan’s mother said about the entire incident
Nafisa Joseph:
On her 19th birthday, Nafisa Joseph won the Miss India crown. She had started modelling at the age of 12, and appeared in ‘CATS’. But on July 29, 2004, she committed suicide after an unsuccessful relationship with boyfriend Gautam Khanduja. Reportedly, she was about to get married to Gautam, but the wedding was called off and she discovered later that he was married. This depressed her and she chose to end her life.
Viveka Babajee:
In her suicide note, Mauritian model Viveka Babajee, wrote, “You killed me, Gautam Vora”; referring to her long time boyfriend. After winning titles of Miss Mauritius World 1993 and Miss Mauritius Universe 1994, Viveka moved to Mumbai and starred in a couple of music videos. Before committing suicide on June 25, 2010; she called her mother to say, ‘I am going far’. Reportedly, she and Gautam called it quits a few months before the fateful day. She also suffered a setback in her business and all these factors combined to push her to depression.
The police on investigation found out that before Gautam, Viveka had a couple of relationships and she was a patient of depression.
