Mukesh Chhabra on Sushant's death: Had no idea about his depression

Image source: Instagram/@castingchhabra

It's been a month since Sushant Singh Rajput died. His family and fans are taking time to come to terms with the actor not being alive anymore. The actor was found dead at his sixth-floor apartment in Bandra (West) on June 14. While the police have confirmed that he has died by suicide, no 'note' was found from his residence. SSR's colleagues and friends from the film and television industry have been expressing their shock and sorrow over his death on social media.

Sushant's last film Dil Bechara's director Mukesh Chhabra mourned his death. He also revealed the last conversation that he had with Sushant. Speaking to Pinkvilla, Mukesh said, "He had personally called me up on my birthday and we spoke. We had a long chat on 27th May. He would always be there, wishing you on your birthdays, so he had called. That's about it. Because of the lockdown, he and I hadn't met for a few months. I wish I knew he was in pain".

He added, "I had no idea (about Sushant's depression). I wish pata hota. I jusst feel ki ek baar pata hota ki he's going through so much (I wish I knew. I just feel I should've known that he's going through so much)".

When asked about Sushant's biggest USP, he said, "I think his charm worked wonders. If you're a good actor and you're also charming, then you're set for life. Also, when you're a good actor, you suddenly start looking better with time. His charm, his dedication, honesty and smile worked." He further adds, "There are so many memories of Sushant that if you ask me about him, I can write a book on him. We spent so much time since Kai Po Che. We did Kedarnath together and even our journey on Dil Bechara for the last two years have been extremely special."

Also Read: Dil Bechara: 5 Things That Make Sushant Singh Rajput And Sanjana Sanghi's Film Special

In an earlier interview, the casting director revealed that Sushant agreed to Dil Bechara, an adaptation of the novel The Fault in our Stars, without reading the script, purely out of goodwill. "Sushant had realised that my heart was set on directing my own film someday. And Sushant promised me that he would work in my film the day I decide to make it. Once I knew that I was making my first film, apart from a great actor I needed someone who would understand me, as a friend, someone who was close to me, someone who would stand by me no matter what during this entire journey. I remember long ago Sushant had promised me that whenever I make my first film, he would star in it as the lead and he kept his promise. So when I approached him for Dil Bechara, he immediately said yes, without even reading the script. We always had this strong emotional connection."

"He used to always help me improve the scene. He used to read with me and if at any point he felt that creatively the scene could be improved he used to always let me know. We used to sit together and discuss at length," he added.

On June 15, Chhabra had penned down a note mourning the demise of the actor. Chhabra took to Twitter to post the note along with a throwback picture of himself kissing Sushant on the cheeks.

While Rajput's death triggered an outpouring of grief from industry folk as well as fans, it also reignited a dialogue on the rampant nepotism and power play in Bollywood. Several celebrities like Dharmendra, Koena Mitra, Shamita Shetty, Rithvik Dhanjani, Raveena Tandon have revealed the dark side of the showbiz.

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