How Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty almost worked together

Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty Picture Courtesy: Mid-day Archives

Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely and unfortunate demise has shocked the television and Hindi film industry. Tributes and condolences have flooded social media since he passed away. He was gearing up for Dil Bechara, the adaptation of the Hollywood film, The Fault In Our Stars. But that's not all, he had one more film that was about to commence with Rhea Chakraborty.

A romantic comedy, the film was being directed by Rumy Jafry, who previously helmed God Tussi Great Ho and Life Partner, and is also directing Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi starrer Chehre. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror about Rajput and Chakraborty's project, the filmmaker said, "The script was locked and we were supposed to shoot in May. The Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown delayed things."

He added, "I lost Irrfan Khan, then Rishi Kapoor and Wajid, and now Sushant. I am so disturbed, my father had asked me to return home to Bhopal." Further elaborating on the details of the untitled film and about Rajput's role, Jafry said, "A rom-com, it was to explore Sushant's dancing skills. He was a fantastic dancer and my film would have showcased him in a different light. He loved Shah Rukh Khan's acting and Govinda's dance and that's why I had a full-fledged dance number with Govinda-style moves planned for our mahurat."

Talking about the actor further, this is what he had to say, "He didn't have too many friends in the industry but was very passionate about his work. He kept reading my script even during the lockdown and was keen on a joint narration. He was looking forward to starting work on the film soon and every time the lockdown was extended, he would get upset because he wanted to get back to work and rehearse."

He even revealed how he messaged Rajput when he heard his manager had passed away. "I messaged him around four to five days ago, when I learnt that his former manager Disha (Salian) had passed away. I asked him to 'take care' and he replied with four hearts and 'love you sir', promising to catch up soon," said the filmmaker.

Rhea Chakraborty visited the Cooper Hospital to pay respects to Sushant Singh Rajput. She was last seen in the 2018 drama, Jalebi. Rajput, as Jafry stated, was a fine dancer and showcased his incredible talent in films like Raabta and Kedarnath.

Infographic/Atul Jain

Equally effective was his acting prowess that we saw right from his debut in Kai Po Che in 2013 and something that continued till his last theatrical release, Chhichhore.

Video: Bollywood shocked over Sushant Singh Rajput's demise

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