Actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies by suicide at his residence in Mumbai

The body of Rajput, 34, was discovered by his domestic help on Sunday

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is reported to have killed himself at his residence in Mumbai. He was 34. Rajput, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2013 film Kai Po Che!, is best known for his roles in Shuddh Desi Romance the same year and the 2016 hit MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.

According to media reports, Rajput’s body was discovered by his domestic help at his Bandra residence. His former manager, Disha Salian, was also reported to have died by suicide four days earlier. 

Rajput's last big screen release was Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore.

He has committed suicide at his residence in Bandra. Our team is there, Manoj Sharma, additional commissioner of police, Western Region, told PTI.

The actor, who became popular with his starring role in the television show Pavitra Rishta made his foray into films with Kai Po Che! in 2013. 
 

The last social media post shared by the actor, who hailed from Patna, was dedicated to his mother, who passed away in 2002 when he was a teenager.

"Blurred past evaporating from teardrops. Unending dreams carving an arc of smile.

"And a fleeting life, negotiating between the two," read the Instagram post shared on June 3 with his mother's picture.

An engineering dropout, Rajput was inclined towards dancing when he was a student at Delhi Technological University. He soon enrolled in choreographer Shiamak Davar's dance classes and later joined acting guru Barry John's classes.

He also performed as a background dancer in the song "Dhoom again" with Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the 2006 film "Dhoom 2".

But it was the small screen that gave the "outsider" his breakout role as the coy and mild-mannered Manav in soap opera “Pavitra Rishta”, which ran from 2009-11, and was produced by Ekta Kapoor.

Two years later, he made his foray into films with “Kai Po Che!” in 2013.

He has starred in movies such as “Shuddh Desi Romance”, “Raabta”, “Kedarnath” and “Sonchiriya” but his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni's in the 2007 biopic, “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story”.

In his last screen appearance, "Chhichhore", Rajput played the role of a father who conveys the message of hope and affirmation to his son after he attempts suicide.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned Rajput's death, remembering him as a "bright young actor".

"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," the PM tweeted.

"Chhichhore" director Tiwari said he had spoken to Rajput last week.

"I had to call people to confirm. It's so shocking and unfortunately true. I am at a loss for words. I spoke to him last week over messages. We would text each other on and off. Now this is what I get to hear. He was like a younger brother to me," Tiwari told PTI.

Actor Akshay Kumar expressed shock and praised him for the work done by him.