Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has committed suicide at his residence in Mumbai, police have confirmed. The actor was 34 years old.
Rajput, best known for playing former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, was found hanging at his Bandra residence, police said.
'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's demise comes amid recent deaths of many Bollywood celebrities, including Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Wajid Khan of Sajid-Wajid duo and director Basu Chatterjee.
Rajput had called the recent suicide of his manager, 28-year-old Disha Salian, 'devastating' after she ended her life by jumping from a high rise building on June 9.
He began his career as in television show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil and gained fame in ZEE's Pavitra Rishta, before moving to the big screen.
He starred in various movies such as buddy drama Kai Po Che!, based on author Chetan Bhagat's novel, Shuddh Desi Romance and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!. The actor received fame for portrayal of Dhoni in his biopic for which he received his first nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
Bollywood celebrities, fans, and personalities expressed grief over the untimely death of the actor.
Critic Bhawana Somaaya called the demise 'unbearable', while Congress leader Nepal Mahato called it 'tragic'.
Actor Akshay Kumar said the news of Rajput's death has left him 'shocked and speechless'. Other Bollywood celebrities, including Lara Dutta Bhupati and Jacky Bhagnani, expressed their grief.
Many took the event to talk about suicide prevention and depression. Actress Koena Mitra expressed grief at Rajput's death, calling for stopping acts of bullying and mocking. Delhi-based lawyer Utsav Bains shared a quote from motivational speaker and author Leo Buscaglia with the hashtag #SuicidePrevention.
Rajput's last big screen release was Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore.
