From Pratyusha Banerjee to Vaishali Takkar, telly stars who died young
Beneath that megawatt smile may lie a desperate plea for help.
By ET Online | Updated:
Agencies
Even those who are living a seemingly blessed life can fall prey to suicidal thoughts.
The world of showbiz is the perfect embodiment of the popular aphorism ‘All that glitters is not gold’. While it may be dubbed as the ‘industry of dreams’ it so very often turns out to be the boulevard of broken dreams.
Underneath the glitz and glamour, beyond the carefully cultivated veneer of relatability and feel-good songs and movies, lies a murky world ruled by Darwin’s evolutionary theory. The frontmen (and women) often peddle dreams to the public, presenting the industry as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of fame and glory, but don’t be fooled. The world of light’s camera & action is ruled by one motto - survival of the fittest.
Those who lose out in the race to the top often find themselves grappling with self-destructive thoughts. Some even end up succumbing to it.
TV serial actress Vaishali Takkar was one of the unfortunate few. The ‘Sasural Simar Ka’ star was found dead at her residence in Indore on October 16. The police recovered a suicide note that suggested that the 29-year-old had committed suicide. According to police reports, the actress was being harassed by her neighbour.
A competitive industry, fighting to find one’s ground in a big city and trying hard to strike work-life balance - for many in the world of showbiz, it has not been easy. Here are a few other telly stars whose lives were cut short tragically.
Pratyusha Banerjee
The actress shot to fame as Anandi in the popular serial 'Balika Vadhu'. (Instagram/iamprats) Pratyusha Banerjee quickly became a household name due to her stint as Anandi, the protagonist of the massively popular TV show ‘Balika Vadhu’. On April 24, 2016, the 24-year-old was found hanging at her Oshiwara apartment in Mumbai. Her tumultuous on-off relationship with her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh was thought to have been one of the major reasons that drove her to take this drastic step. There were also reports of the relationship being abusive, with Singh allegedly engaging in physical violence several times. Banerjee’s post-mortem report hinted at an early pregnancy. The actress reportedly wanted to be a mother and settle down.
Kuljeet Randhawa
The actress was found hanging at her flat in Mumbai in 2006. (Images : Facebook/kuljeetrandhawawithlove)This glamorous actress who became the small-screen heartthrob of many ‘90s kids with her role as the bombshell Ash in the serial ‘C.A.T.S’( the desi equivalent of ‘Charlie’s Angels’) was found hanging in the drawing room of her Juhu apartment on February 8, 2006. The 29-year-old left behind a two-page suicide note, explaining that she couldn’t cope with life’s pressures. The note mentioned Bhanu Uday, Randhawa’s co-star in Star One’s serial ‘Secret Squad’ and rumoured boyfriend, describing him as “the most beautiful person” in her life. To date, the police could not uncover what drove this pretty actress to suicide. In an interview with TellyChakkar, Randhawa confided that she had left a painful relationship that caused her much anguish. Was it another troubled romance that led to Randhawa’s eventual disenchantment with life? Or was it the inability to keep up with the rat race of the entertainment industry? We will never know.
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Incidentally, Randhawa’s close friend and ‘C.A.T.S’ co-star Nafisa Joseph also took her life. She hanged herself in her Versova flat in July 2004.
Pallavi Dey
The actress's fiance had allegedly embezzled her funds. Known for her dimples and effortless acting, this petite actress hanged herself on May 15, this year. Her body was recovered from her flat at Garfa in Kolkata, where she lived with her partner Sagnik Chakroborty. Although initially her death was described as suicide by the police, her family suspected foul play. Her parents alleged that Chakraborty had subjected her to domestic abuse and embezzled her hard-earned funds. Chakraborty was arrested on May 17, after an interrogation in which he admitted to splurging her money on a luxurious apartment and a car. Dey gained a fan following for her roles such as Lutfunnisa Begum in the historical TV drama ‘Ami Sirajer Begum’, Shalik in ‘Kunjochaya’ and many others.
Disha Ganguly
The actress reportedly faced opposition from homophobic parents who didn't accept her same-sex relationship. (Images: Facebook/disha.ganguly)She wooed audiences with her performances in TV serials like ‘Bou Katha Kou’, ‘Tumi Ashbey Bole', ‘Adwitiya’ etc. Her fans were left shocked when the actress took her life in 2015. Her body was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan by her fiance Vivaan Ghosh who is also a known face on the small screen. According to a report by Times of India, Ghosh became concerned when she didn’t return his phone calls and rushed to her apartment. Although the reason behind her suicide has never been confirmed, police reports hinted that homophobia drove her to take this extreme step. Although she was dating Ghosh, Ganguly was also reportedly involved with a friend, another TV actress. Her lover, a resident from Baranagar, tried to jump in front of a running train in Howrah station but was saved by the locals in the nick of time. According to police reports the actress had been living with her for some time but was driven away by her parents who vehemently objected to the relationship. Before her death, Ganguly had transferred a hefty amount of Rs 50,000 from her personal account to the joint account owned by her actress-friend and her.
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Shobhana
The actress was reportedly down with fever and missed out many opportunities causing her to take her own life. The actress who gained a huge fan-following due to her impeccable comic timing was found dead at her house in Kotturpuram, Chennai on January 10, 2011. She was 31. According to police reports, she hanged herself. The actress gained attention for her hilarious performance in the comedy serial ‘Meendum Meendum Sirippu’. A source close to the deceased actress revealed that she was suffering from Chikungunya, a viral fever. As a result she had lost out on many opportunities. This caused her to spiral into depression.
VJ Chitra The actress was reportedly subjected to domestic abuse from her fiance Hemanth. (Images: Instagram/vjchithufan)Chitra Kamaraj aka VJ Chitra took her own life on December 9, 2020. She was found hanging in a hotel near Nazarathpettai, Chennai. She was only 28. The actress had reportedly finished shooting at the EVP Film City and returned to the hotel where she was residing with her fiance Hemanth at 2:30 am. According to her fiance, she went in for a bath but didn’t come out. Hemanth summoned hotel staff to break open the door. They reportedly found the ‘ Pandian Stores’ star hanging from the ceiling. Although the post-mortem report diagnosed the cause of death as suicide, her family alleged there was foul play at work and claimed that her husband subjected her to physical and emotional abuse. In an interview with the Times of India, Chitra’s mother Vijaya Kamaraj claimed that her daughter had been beaten to death by her husband. On December 15, Hemanth was arrested for alleged abetment of the suicide. Upon interrogation, he admitted that he was unhappy about some intimate scenes she had shot for a daily soap and took it out on her. As per police reports, her husband had pushed her during an altercation on the day she died. According to multiple reports the actress was suffering from depression.
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World Suicide Prevention Day: Emotional Awareness, A Kind Environment Can Help Children Understand Mental Health Better
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The Covid-crisis has increased the instance of anxiety and depression four-fold across the world. These challenging times have highlighted the importance of mental health.
Even before the pandemic hit, mental health impacted over 10 per cent of the global population across their lifetime, and more than 20 per cent of adolescents and children had mental health concerns.
Over 90 per cent of school children are confined at home for the past six months due to the pandemic.
Now, more than ever, children need to build skills to cope with stressors. And, parents play an important role in helping nurture skills of resilience.
On World Suicide Prevention Day, Dr Rajesh Parikh, MD, Director Medical Research & Hon. Neuropsychiatrist at Jaslok Hoapital & Research Centre, Mumbai, shares ways in which parents can help.
The Covid-crisis has increased the instance of anxiety and depression four-fold across the world. These challenging times have highlighted the importance of mental health.Even before the pandemic hit..
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The first step to improving mental well-being is learning to recognise one's emotions. Expanding a child’s emotional vocabulary helps them identify what they are feeling and express themselves better. Awareness of emotions is not only limited to labelling them, but also identifying how they feel in the body and what thoughts and behaviours are attached to them.
The first step to improving mental well-being is learning to recognise one's emotions. Expanding a child’s emotional vocabulary helps them identify what they are feeling and express themselves better..
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Mental illness may result from biological, genetic or psychological stress. Educating children about the nature of mental illness, helps reduce stigma and increases empathy. It also equips them to identify negative emotions within themselves and others.
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Mental health isn’t merely about a life free of illness but a life which is meaningfully engaged in activities and relationships. It doesn’t necessitate that children are always happy. Instead it focuses on being comfortable in emotions they experience and building skills to cope with stressors.
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Protecting children from challenges does not make them resilient. Research from 20 studies has shown that when children have been taught how to address faulty thinking and develop problem solving skills, negotiation and relaxation, they have lower levels of anxiety and depression.
Protecting children from challenges does not make them resilient. Research from 20 studies has shown that when children have been taught how to address faulty thinking and develop problem solving ski..
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A safe and nurturing environment encourages children to express feelings and desires. Creating a home environment which allows for failures and provides opportunities to learn fosters self-esteem and resilience.
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Research consistently indicates that children model their parent’s behaviours. As parents, it is important to be congruent in what is said and one’s behaviour. Learning from observation is the best ways behaviours are retained.
A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that children as young as 5 years, when taught skills such as regulating their emotions were successful at work in adulthood and less prone to mental illnesses. Adults have a vital role in fostering children’s mental health.
Research consistently indicates that children model their parent’s behaviours. As parents, it is important to be congruent in what is said and one’s behaviour. Learning from observation is the best w..
