The critically-acclaimed Indian actor recently died in a suspected suicide. Rajput's death has unveiled the issue of depression in India's entertainment industry, where many actors must compete under intense pressure.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Jaiswal
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Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, a prominent Bollywood star who secured lead roles in blockbuster hits including Kai Po Che, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Chhichhore, was found hanging at his south Mumbai home over the weekend.
The loss of Rajput comes just days after the death of his former manager, 28-year-old Disha Salian. According to local media reports, Salian died after falling off the 14th floor of a building in Mumbai. Investigations are still ongoing whether Salian's death was suicide or an accidental death.
The recent string of deaths in India's film industry has raised disturbing questions of the darker side of the seemingly glamorous world of Bollywood. Film and television actor Kushal Punjabi died in his Mumbai residence in December last year. The cause of death was reported to be suicide by hanging. Other actors, including Pratyusha Banerjee, Jiah Khan, Kunal Singh, Sai Prashanth and the iconic actor-director Guru Dutt, have all allegedly died as a result of suicide.
"The cinema world is not exempt … Many face depression, stress, anxiety or severe mental disorders," Psychiatrist Anjali Nagpal told DW. "Everyone has different coping mechanisms, some don't want to express themselves and some don't have ways to deal with their isolation," Nagpal explained.
Pandemic exacerbates mental health problems
In May, actor Preksha Mehta was found dead in her home in Indore, Madhya Pradesh state. According to local media, the actor suffered from depression. Her mental health reportedly deteriorated after struggling to secure work post-COVID-19 lockdown.
In an apparent suicide note, Mehta expressed disappointment in her career and what she reportedly described as failed relationships.
Mental health experts have warned that the global coronavirus pandemic and related lockdowns have exacerbated suicidal tendencies among individuals.
"This lockdown has opened up a Pandora's box. It has had a massive impact on the lifestyle of people and produced a fertile breeding ground for self-harm," Gorav Gupta, a renowned psychiatrist, told DW. The New Delhi-based psychiatrist said people find it even more difficult to reach out during the ongoing pandemic due the lack of available resources and the stigma attached to seeking help.
Gupta said he has received an influx of patients in the last two months during the COVID-19 lockdown, saying that the spike is not unusual given that many have been forced to stay indoors with limited access to resources.
"People suffered significant to extreme emotional pain, regardless of the source of such pain. It takes a lot to step out and talk about it, especially if one is a celebrity," Gupta said.
'A jungle of ambitions'
Hindi cinema — globally dubbed Bollywood — is one of the world's biggest film industries and known for creating the most number of films per year.
Those that work in the industry and aspiring actors have often described Bollywood as fiercely competitive — whereby self-worth often depends on securing the next big role and maintaining a public profile.
"It's neither an industry nor a corporate house. It's a jungle of ambitions where everyone wants to grow taller than the other. But a forest becomes a forest only when all trees co-grow," film director Vivek Agnothotri tweeted.
In addition to the added pressure due to the nature of the entertainment industry, clinical psychiatrist Rajiv Sharma said that some actors could become susceptible to allowing their emotions consume them entirely when playing certain roles. "There have been instances when acting techniques can encourage harmful thought processes. Some may have problems getting rid of them," said Sharma.
10 influential Indian artists
As the Beethovenfest Bonn welcomes musicians from India for its Campus Project 2018, DW revisits some of the country's most important and popular contemporary stars.
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Ravi Shankar
In the 1950s, Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) was one of the first to popularize Indian music in the West. The meditative sound and the soaring drive of the ragas of this sitar virtuoso inspired and influenced different musicians, from violinist Yehudi Menuhin to Beatle George Harrison (photo).
Image: AP
Zubin Mehta
The star conductor was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1936 and went to Vienna to study at the age of 18. Zubin Mehta has celebrated a successful career in Europe, the US and Israel, all while remaining connected to his homeland. For instance, he has created a foundation to support the popularization of classical western music in India.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Jordan
Yash Chopra
The Hindi film industry would never have become such an internationally successful phenomenon without the late filmmaker and producer Yash Chopra (1932-2012). Known as the "King of Romance" of Indian cinema, Chopra was behind some of the cult classics that established the Bollywood brand outside of India.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/C. Court
Shah Rukh Khan
And here's the "King of Bollywood": Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, also known as SRK, is the most successful actor in India — he has more fans worldwide than Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise combined. His roles in hit melodramatic films have established him as the quintessential "romantic hero," with his humor and charisma definitely contributing to his charm.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Verma
Raj Kapoor
Kapoor (1924-1988) was one of the most influential actors and filmmakers in the history of cinema. The "greatest showman of Hindi cinema" conquered the hearts of the Indian people and critics alike in the 1950s. Instead of portraying heroic figures, he was one of the first to embody "the ordinary man" with likable weaknesses. He has been immortalized in wax at Madame Tussaud's Museum in India.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Qadri
Subodh Gupta
Contemporary art "made in India" has been booming for decades, and one of the scene's most successful stars is Subodh Gupta. His works fetch record prices on the art market. Bihar, the state where Gupta was born, is one of the poorest in India. He uses ordinary items in his work that reflect his own childhood as well as India's 20th-century transformation.
Image: Imago/H. Förster
Kajol
Award-winning film actress Kajol Devgan is one of the most famous and popular stars in Bollywood. The Indian beauty icon is also a social activist and the mother of two children.
Image: Imago/ZUMA Press/A. Khan
Arundhati Roy
The Indian author was among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. After winning the Man Booker Prize in 1997 with her novel "The God of Small Things," she became a prominent anti-globalization activist.
Image: picture-alliance/ANSA/G. Onorati
A.R. Rahman
The composer's film scores combine Indian classical music with electronic beats. A.R. Rahman's soundtrack for Danny Boyle's 2008 film "Slumdog Millionaire" won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards — a first for an Asian. He was also included on the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2009.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Samad
Balkrishna Doshi
In 2018 the 90-year-old architect was honored with the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the world's top award in the field. The jury noted his "deep sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to his country and its people through high quality, authentic architecture." The Aranya Low Cost Housing, one of his most noteworthy designs, offers a solution to the housing shortage in the Indore state.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Solanki
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A wakeup call
Rajput's death has shaken the world of Bollywood, with prominent Indian actors speaking out and encouraging those in the industry to facilitate open dialogue on issues concerning mental health.
"The industry now feels more open to dialogue around mental health. The shift is slowly happening but there is still a long way to go before we can express these feelings. Many still see it as a stigma," a south Indian actor told DW on condition of anonymity.
Veteran actor Anil Kapoor said the news of Rajput's death was "shocking and incredibly heartbreaking." He appealed to those in need of help to reach out to somebody they trust.
"If you feel like you're drowning please, please, please reach out to someone you trust, whether that is a friend, family member or a professional," the actor tweeted.
Deepika Padukone, one of India's highest paid actors, came out publicly in 2015 about her battle with depression. She is the founder of the Live Love Laugh Foundation, which aims to raise awareness on mental health in India.
"As a person who has had a lived experience with mental illness, I cannot stress enough about the importance of reaching out. Talk. Communicate. Express. Seek help. Remember, you are not alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is hope," Padukone posted on social media following Rajput's death.
If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: befrienders.org.
Bollywood's 'King' Khan
From bad guy to romantic hero: How Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, 50, became the country's most successful movie star and a veritble Bollywood legend.
Image: Rapid Eye Movies
King of Bollywood
His career could be straight from a Bollywood script. Born in New Delhi, Shah Rukh Khan rose from humble beginnings to stardom in Mumbai. The 50-year-old is one of India's most successful actors, also sought after as a producer and presenter. With an output of more than 2,000 films per year, India's film industry is one of the world's largest.
Image: Rapid Eye Movies
Villain to lover
At the start of his movie career, Shah Rukh Khan was often cast as the villain. It wasn't until he started playing the romantic hero in 1990s commercial Hindi films that he skyrocketed to fame. The 1995 blockbuster romance "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge - The big-hearted will take away the bride" holds the world record as the longest-running film in a cinema.
Image: picture alliance/Dinodia Photo
Bollywood's power couple
Kajol Devgn has been the woman by his side for the past 22 years. On screen, the two are the most popular and successful Indian movie couple of all time. In real life, however, they are happily married to other partners.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/R. Maqbool
A model husband
The Bollywood star has been married to film producer Gauri Khan for 25 years, entirely scandal-free. The couple, who have three children and a joint production company, met before Shah Rukh Khan rose to fame as an actor. In India, media-shy Gauri Khan is regarded as a fashion icon.
Image: picture-alliance/Dinodia Photo Library
Bollywood meets Hollywood
"My Name is Khan," produced by the Khans in 2010, is the most successful Bollywood film abroad. Set in the US, it focuses on Islamophobia in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Shah Rukh Khan plays a Muslim who suffers from the Asperger syndrome and is suspected of being a terrorist. His message was: "My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist."
Image: Twentieth Century Fox
Bollywood exports
The 2014 musical comedy drama "Happy New Year" was the highest-grossing Bollywood film on the day of its release in Indian history. That same year, the film showed in Germany, too - here, fans can now sign up for Bollywood dancing and Indian cooking classes and buy bright Bollywood-style outfits.
Image: Rapid Eye Movies
A wealthy man
Shah Rukh Khan and his acting colleague Akshay Kumar have made it to the Forbes list of the world's richest people. With an income of $33 million per year, "King Khan" makes more than Kumar, but much less than Hollywood's best-paid actress: 25-year-old Jennifer Lawrence is reported to have earned $46 million last year.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
In touch with the world
The actor has about 20 million followers each on Twitter and Facebook. This is where he shares his private interests, including his recent obsession with Pokemon Go, and a video clip where he finds Pikachu, a popular Pokemon - Bollywood-style!
