New Delhi: The untimely death of TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee yet again brings to the fore the tensions, pressures and insecurity that are a major part of the glamour-filled life of a celebrity. What may begin with pearly smiles, starry eyes full of aspiration, could end in despair which several celebrities have been unable to cope with, ending their lives in suicide or death under unexplained circumstances.
Not just in the Hindi film industry, but also globally, known names like Marilyn Monroe, Heath Ledger, Kurt Cobain and many more have taken the extreme step. Here is a list of names of Indian celebrities who took the drastic step of ending their lives:
Pratyusha Banerjee: Famous for her portrayal as Anandi in the TV show “Balika Vadhu”, Pratyusha allegedly committed suicide in Mumbai on Friday. The actress hanged herself from a fan at her Goregaon residence. Her boyfriend, Rahul Raj Singh, took her to the hospital where she succumbed.
Jiah Khan (2013): She was just three films old in Bollywood and starred alongside A-listers like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan. Jiah was found dead, hanging from her ceiling fan in June, 2013 at her residence in Juhu, Mumbai. She left behind a suicide note in which she mentioned her “abusive relationship” with actor Aditya Pancholi’s son Sooraj. Jiah was only 25 when she ended her life.
Viveka Babajee (2010): Sultry Mauritian model and actress Viveka Babajee was best known for her KamaSutra condom advertisements. Viveka was found hanging from the ceiling fan of her Mumbai apartment in 2010. She blamed boyfriend Gautam Vohra for her death in a dairy entry. Police said that she committed suicide due to depression.
Kuljeet Randhawa (2006): An actress and a model Kuljeet Randhawa, who was seen in the TV show “C.A.T.S”, an Indian version of “Charlie’s Angels”, hanged herself in her apartment in Juhu, Mumbai in 2006. She even left behind a suicide note stating that she was ending her life as she was unable to cope with life’s pressures.
Parveen Babi (2005): One of the most popular yesteryears diva, Parveen Babi was found dead in her apartment in 2005. After a successful career, which spanned over a decade, during the last few days of her life Parveen was reportedly alone. The “Namak Halaal”, “Deewar” star was known to be suffering from psychological problems for some years.
Nafisa Joseph (2004): The model-turned-video jockey, who acted in the TV series “C.A.T.S” along with Kuljeet, reportedly hanged herself in her flat in Versova, Mumbai in July 2004.
Silk Smitha (1996): Renowned as the Southen sex siren, Silk Smitha, whose performances garnered whistles and hooting from front benchers, was found dead at the age of 36 under mysterious circumstances. Her body was found hanging by a rope near her home in Chennai in 1996.
Divya Bharti (1993): The actress, who gained popularity in Bollywood in the ’90s with films like “Shola Aur Shabnam” and “Deewana”, died at the peak of her career in 1993 at the age of 19. The actress died just 11 months after her marriage to producer Sajid Nadiadwala. Divya fell off the balcony of her five-storey Tulsi apartment building. Her death remains a mystery.
Guru Dutt (1964): One of the Hindi film legends, Guru Dutt, known for hugely popular films like “Sanjh Aur Savera” and “Chaudhvin Ka Chand”, was found dead in his rented apartment in Mumbai in 1964. The reason for the actor’s death was a lethal combination of sleeping pills combined with liquor.
