What caused Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, to commit suicide can only be speculated since he left no note. His close aides suspect that depression drove him to take the extreme step. He reportedly hung himself from the ceiling fan in his flat in Bandra, Mumbai on Sunday, June 13. Having started in TV serials a decade ago, Rajput got the proverbial lucky break in a much talked about movie, Kai Po Che, in 2013, and later featured in a couple of other films, including a biopic on the life of Captain M S Dhoni. He still had a long future ahead of him. But in an industry where success is fickle, depending on the unfathomable likes and dislikes of cine fans, it is not hard to see why some fall victim to depression. Some years ago, Deepika Padukone spoke boldly about her own battles with mental lows and loss of confidence. It is a disease like any other but the society shuns the victims as untouchables. Public awareness to remove the stigma from depression is absolutely necessary. Depressives are not criminals. They need help, not social distancing and stigma.
