Sushant Singh Rajput was an Indian actor best known for his work in Hindi cinema. He starred in a number of commercially successful Bollywood films such as M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Kedarnath and Chhichhore.

 

Bio/Wiki
Profession	Actor
Physical Stats & More
Height [1]	in centimeters- 183 cm in meters- 1.83 m in feet inches- 6'
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film Debut: Kai Po Che! (2013) as 'Ishaan Bhatt' TV Debut: Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil (2008) as 'Preet Juneja'
Last Film (Theatrical Release)	Chhichhore (2019) as Anirudh "Anni" Pathak
Last Film (Digital Release)	Dil Bechara (premiered on Disney+Hotstar on 24 July 2020) as "Manny"
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• The Most Popular Actor (Male) at Indian Television Academy Awards in 2010 for “Pavitra Rishta” • Screen Award for Best Male Debut for the film “Kai Po Che” (2014) • Producers Guild Film Award for Best Male Debut for “Kai Po Che” (2014) • Screen Award for Best Actor (Critics) for the film “M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story” (2017) • Best Actor for M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (2017)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	21 January 1986 (Tuesday)
Birthplace	Maldiha, Purnea, Bihar
Date of Death	14 June 2020 (Sunday)
Place of Death	At his flat on Hill Road, Bandra, Mumbai [2]
Age (at the time of death)	34 Years
Death Cause	Suicide (alleged) [3] Note: On the morning of 14 June 2020, he was found dead at his Bandra home.
Zodiac sign	Aquarius
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Maldiha, Purnea, Bihar
School	• St. Karen’s High School, Patna • Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Delhi
College/University	Delhi College of Engineering (DCE; now Delhi Technological University (DTU)), New Delhi
Educational Qualification	12th Standard Note: Sushant was a Mechanical Engineering dropout.
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Rajput [4]
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian [5]
Address	A Flat on Hill Road, Bandra, Mumbai
Hobbies [6]	Gazing Stars, Reading the Works of Great Philosophers, Learning About the Latest Scientific Advancements
Tattoo	He had gotten a tattoo inked on his back in the memory of his mother. His sister, Priyanka helped him to get the design of his tattoo finalized. The popular tattoo artist Sameer Patange was the man behind the design of Rajput's tattoo. Sameer Patange has also tattooed actors such as Sanjay Dutt, Sushmita Sen, Kangana Ranaut, and many others. While talking about the tattoo in an interview, Rajput said, “The tatoo is a symbolic representation of five elements. My mother and I are in the centre, implying it is a bond that not even time can defy. The five elements are widely accepted symbols. However, the idea of using my mother and me as elements was thought of by my sister and me.”
Controversies	• In 2015, Ankita Lokhande, the ex-girlfriend of Sushant Singh Rajput publicly slapped him outside Yashraj Studios in Andheri. According to sources, after checking Sushant's cellphone, the actress shouted a "Thank You" before slapping him. [7] • He was even rumoured to have been secretly married to Ankita in 2015. Reportedly, they tied the knot in Ujjain after Ankita's parents insisted on her to get married to Sushant as they were skeptical about her decision to live-in with Sushant. [8] • In 2017, when Shahid Kapoor was awarded the Best Actor Award at IIFA, Sushant tweeted: “@iifa hahahaha.” His tweet was taken as sarcasm on social media, and he was heavily trolled. [9] • In February 2018, Sushant reportedly abused his fans who had gathered outside his Bandra house; requesting selfies with the actor. Later, his fans hit Sushant's watchman who had also started abusing them. [10] • In August 2018, Sushant landed into a controversy after he allegedly behaved flirtatiously with his ‘Kizie Aur Manny’ co-star, Sanjana Sanghi. There were also reports of him sexually harassing the actress on the sets of the film. However, the actor refuted all the rumours and also shared his chat screenshots with Sanjana. Later, Sanjana too took to Twitter and dismissed the ‘baseless and unfounded stories’ that were doing the rounds on the internet. She wrote, "I’d like to clarify that no such incident took place with me. Let’s put an end to these conjectures.” • In the wake of #MeToo movement and as a mark of protest, Twitter immediately removed Sushant’s verified badge after the reports of his indecent behaviour with Sanjana spread on social media. However, he later clarified that the verification tick had not been there for a long time. [11]
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends	• Ankita Lokhande (ex-girlfriend; 2011-2016) [12] • Kriti Sanon (Rumoured) [13] • Rhea Chakraborty (actress) [14]
Family
Wife/Spouse	N/A
Parents	Father- Krishna Kumar Singh (a retired employee of BISCOMAUN, Patna) [15] Mother- Usha Singh (died in 2002 of a brain hemorrhage)
Siblings	Brother- None Sister- He had four elder sisters. • Mitu Singh (State Level Cricketer) • Neetu Singh [16] • Priyanka Singh (Lawyer) • Shweta Singh Kirti (lives in the United States) [17]
Favourite Things
Food	Rajmah Chawal, Aloo Paranthas, Chicken, Lobsters, Prawns, Pani Puri
Beverages	Tea with lots of sugar, Lime Juice
Actors	James Dean, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, Shah Rukh Khan, Daniel Day-Lewis
Actresses	Isha Sherwani, Tabu, Jennifer Lawrence
Film Directors	Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Raj Kumar Hirani, Anand Gandhi
Travel Destinations	Norway, New Zealand
Colour	Black
Sport(s)	Cricket, Football, Tennis
Cricketer	Sourav Ganguly
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Maserati Quattroporte, Range Rover
Bike Collection	BMW K1300R

 

Some Lesser Facts About Sushant Singh Rajput

• Did Sushant Singh Rajput smoke?: Yes

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput smoking

• Did Sushant Singh Rajput drink alcohol?: Yes ^[18]

• Sushant Singh Rajput was an Indian actor who was best known for playing the role of  ‘Manav Deshmukh’ in the television serial, “Pavitra Rishta.” He is also remembered for his performances in the films, Kai Po Che! (2013), M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Kedarnath (2018), and Chhichhore (2019). Besides being an actor, he was also a model, dancer, and entrepreneur. Sushant was found dead on 14 June 2020 inside his Mumbai apartment.

• Although Sushant belonged to a Kshatriya Rajput family of Bihar, he had removed his surname “Rajput” in 2017 amid the growing protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s film ‘Padmavat’ by the Karni Sena. ^[19]

• Sushant was very close to his mother; however, he lost his mother when he was just 16 years old in 2002. Thereafter, he expressed his love for his mother on various occasions. Sushant also wrote a few poems in her memory. Here’s one such poem by Sushant –

  As long as you were, I was. Now just in your memories I come alive. Like a shadow, Just a flicker. Time doesn’t move here. It’s beautiful, It’s forever…” He also wrote, “Do you remember? You promised that you would be with me forever, and I promised you that I would keep smiling no matter what. It seems we both were wrong mother…”

• Even a few days before his death, Sushant had shared a photo of his mother, along with a post, on Instagram on 3 June 2020. In the post, he wrote –

  Blurred past evaporating from teardrops. Unending dreams carving an arc of smile. And a fleeting life, negotiating between the two…”

 

• Sushant was the youngest among five children of his parents, and he spent most of his childhood in Maldiha, Purnea, Bihar.

   

  

  Shushant Singh Rajput in his childhood

• After his schooling from Patna’s St. Karen’s High School, he moved to Delhi where he attended Kulachi Hansraj Model School. ^[20]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His School Friends

• In an interview, Sushant revealed that he was very shy in his childhood and had difficulty in expressing or communicating with others, but he always wanted to get noticed, so he worked very hard at his studies to score excellent marks. He said,

  During my school days, I struggled to communicate. Since the only way I could be noticed was by scoring good marks, I focussed on my studies.” ^[21]

• At the age of 18, Sushant got himself enrolled in Delhi College of Engineering (DCE; now Delhi Technological University (DTU)) to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering). Reportedly, he was ranked 7th in the DCE Entrance Exam in 2003. ^[22]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput in his school days

• Reportedly, before getting enrolled in Delhi College of Engineering, Sushant had cleared more than 11 engineering entrance exams and had also won the National Olympiad in Physics. ^[23]

• He had bought his first bike, a modified Honda CBR, with the savings from giving tuitions to engineering students. ^[24]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His First Bike

• While Shushant was completing his graduation, he developed an interest in dancing after watching Shiamak Davar‘s dance shows. To follow his passion for dance and acting, he dropped out in the third year of the four-year engineering course. ^[25]

• Impressed by Sushant’s dedication and talent Shiamak gave him a chance to perform at the 2005 Filmfare Awards and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

• Subsequently, he joined Barry John Acting Studio to polish his acting skills, and thus, Sushant had found new ways of expressing and communicating himself through dancing and acting. In an interview, he revealed that he was a dancer first, Sushant said,

  When I was dancing, I realised I could get people to notice me. I thought with acting I can better that. Even when I started acting, I never stopped feeling like a dancer. Dance has given me a sense of rhythm. That’s the first thing I work on while building a character.” ^[26]

• In 2005, Sushant moved to Mumbai to pursue his acting career. There, he joined Nadira Babbar’s theatre group, Ekjute, and did many plays for the group for two and a half years. ^[27]

• At the 2005 Filmfare Awards, he performed alongside Aishwarya Rai. According to Sushant, Aishwarya was the first star from Bollywood to become his dance partner. In an interview, while praising Aishwarya Rai, he said,

  I was always star struck. The first time I danced with Ash, I was just analysing and seeing her beauty and I was supposed to lift her. I lifted her and she said ‘Please don’t drop me, Sushant.’ I couldn’t believe that she was talking to me.” ^[28]

• In the same year, Sushant danced in a song standing behind Abhishek Bachchan in the film, Bunty Aur Babli. ^[29]

• In an interview, he revealed that he had appeared as a background dancer in many Bollywood films, he said,

  I was a background dancer in films and to take a step forward to become a hero who dances took a lot of effort. I feel happy about the leap, but that’s just about it. I don’t take myself seriously.” ^[30]

• He first came into the limelight by doing a TV commercial of Nestle Munch, which became very popular. Later, he appeared in the same advertisement in 2015 with a new flavour. ^[31]

• The people from Balaji Telefilms spotted the acting talent of Sushant when he was performing in a play at Prithvi Theatre. They called him for the audition, and the rest is history. While talking about it in an interview, Sushant had said,

  If I could act in front of a live audience, I thought I could act in front of a camera too. ” ^[32]

• Although Sushant’s first appearance on television was in the TV serial “Kis Desh Mein Hai Mera Dil” as ‘Preet Juneja,’ he got his breakthrough when he played the role of ‘Manav Deshmukh’ in Zee TV’s “Pavitra Rishta.” The serial established him as a household name, and he won several awards as the Best TV actor for this role.

• In 2010, he appeared as a contestant in Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 4, a dance reality show on Sony Entertainment Television. In this show, his dance partner was choreographer Shampa Sonthalia. ^[33]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput in Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 4

• In the same year, Sushant appeared in another dance reality show, Zara Nachke Dikha on Star One. ^[34]

• In October 2011, Sushant had planned to go abroad to study filmmaking, and he quit Pavitra Rishta. While talking about it in an interview, he said,

  I thought of going to University of California, Los Angeles, as I was not getting the kind of films that I wanted to do. Before I joined, I signed Kai Po Che. Acting in films is like being in a filmmaking school. Today, I understand a lot more about how to say the same thing in a more effective way.” ^[35]

• During an interview, Sushant had also clarified about quitting the television show, Pavitra Rishta, he said,

  I didn’t leave the show for the film. These are all rumours. I wanted to quit the show because my character was getting monotonous and I wanted to do something different in my life.” ^[36]

• In an interview, Sushant talked about his television career and said,

  The television shows brought me a few film offers. I was not excited about them till I got Kai Po Che. Television also got me good money. Money has made a major difference to my life. I come from a big family, there are certain things I could not do as I did not have enough money. Money can decide the way one thinks. But it does start losing its value the moment you acquire the kind of money you wish to have. I hit that mark thanks to television, so I could experiment with my choice of films.” ^[37]

• In 2013, after giving the audition for the Bollywood film, Kai Po Che!, he was instantly selected to play one of the leads in the movie. The film went on to become a commercial hit at the box office. While talking about Kai Po Che! in an interview, Sushant said,

  Kai Po Che also changed people’s perceptions, not just about me, but about television actors. Those who hire us started to believe actors from television can do movies. Also, it motivated other television actors to believe they could do it too.” ^[38]
  

• After Kai Po Che!, he did Suddh Desi Romance (2013) alongside Parineeti Chopra. Reportedly, it was Shahid Kapoor who was the first choice in the film. ^[39]

• In 2014, Sushant appeared in Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster film PK opposite Anushka Sharma. In the film, he played the role of ‘Sarfaraz.’
  

• In 2015, he received laurels for playing the titular role in Dibakar Banerjee’s “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.”
  

• In 2016, he tasted the biggest success in his career when he appeared in Mahendra Singh Dhoni‘s biopic, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story in which he played the titular role. The film established new records at the box office. Reportedly, it took him almost one and a half years to get prepared himself for playing this role. The sources also claim that he used to practice the signature helicopter shot of Dhoni for 225 times a day, which he continued for several days.
  

• After Dhoni’s biopic, Sushant appeared in the films, Raabta (2017), Kedarnath (2018), Sonchiriya (2019), and Chhichhore (2019).
  

• According to sources, Sushant was also planning to portray twelve real-life people from India, including, Chanakya, Rabindranath Tagore, and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

• Before stepping into acting, Sushant had learned martial arts from Allan Amin, danced with Ashley Lobo’s troupe, and assisted Mohit Suri in the film “Raaz 2.”

• The eldest brother-in-law of Sushant, Om Prakash Singh is an additional DGP in the Haryana government. ^[40]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His Brother-in-law Om Prakash Singh and Sister

• Sushant’s cousin, Neeraj Kumar Bablu is the JDU-turned-BJP MLA who has been winning the Chhatapur seat in Saharsa, Bihar since 2005. According to Bablu, Sushant had also indicated to make a foray into politics. Bablu said,

  He had the background. Our family is spread out in bureaucracy, politics and business. Last year, when he came to attend a family function in Bihar, he told me that he would go big in the state after this year.” ^[41]

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His Cousin and the BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Bablu

• Sushant Singh Rajput was fascinated with the work of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and had often praised his acting skills. ^[42]

• When it comes to his close friends in the industry, the names of Mukesh Chabbra, Kriti Sanon, and Rohini Iyer appeared at the forefront.

• Reportedly, he was the first choice in the Bollywood film, Fitoor, but he could not do the film due to his busy schedule.

• According to sources, when Shekhar Kapur offered him a role in the film “Paani,” Sushant rejected twelve films to appear in the film; however, the film was later shelved.

• He was a passionate animal lover and had a pet dog, Fudge.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His Pet Dog Fudge

• Sushant had a huge love for luxury cars and his dream car was Bugatti Veyron.

• Rajput was a loyal customer of the famous Italian luxury fashion brand, Ermenegildo Zegna.

• When he came to Mumbai, he had three dreams: first, to work in a Yash Raj Film, second, to do a Pepsi ad commercial, and third, to be on the cover of Filmfare Magazine; and he had achieved them all.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput on the cover of Filmfare Magazine

• In 2018, he fulfilled his childhood desire to become a pilot. Although he couldn’t become a licensed pilot, he bought an expensive, Boeing 737 Fixed Base Flight Simulator to learn flying airplanes.

Sushant Singh Rajput in His Boeing 737 Fixed Base Flight Simulator

• In May 2019, Sushant visited his ancestral home in Bihar after almost 17 years. Sushant, who had lost his mother at the age of 16, went there to fulfill his late mother’s wish. He performed an old ritual of ‘Mundan’ at a temple in Khagaria. Although he did not shave off his complete hair, he completed the ritual by trimming off a strand.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput being welcomed by his family members at his village in Bihar

• Since childhood, he loved to explore outer space and talk about celestial bodies, stars, and planets. To watch the ring of Saturns, he had bought Meade 14 LX600, one of the most expensive and advanced telescopes in the world.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput With His Telescope

• Sushant became the first Indian to buy a piece of land on Moon when he bought the lunar area called the ‘Mare Muscoviense’ or the ‘Sea of Muscovy’ from the ‘International Lunar Lands Registry.’

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput Practising Space Walk

• His curiosity in outer space led him to NASA where he completed a certified instructor’s course to get selected for the 2024 space mission.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput During His NASA Visit

• In 2019, Sushant shared a wishlist of 50 dreams through his Instagram account. The list contained wishes like “Learn how to Fly a Plane,” “Train for Iron Man triathlon,” “Play a Cricket Match left-handed,” “Learn Morse Code,” “Help kids learn about Space,” “Play tennis with a Champion,” and “Do a Four Clap Push-Up.”

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput’s wish list

• Sushant had his own website, selfmusing.com, where he loved to post his own quotes.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput’s Quotes Website

• He was also slated to portray twelve prominent personalities in India, including A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Chanakya, and Rabindranath Tagore. ^[43]

• On the morning of 14 June 2020, he was found hanging at his Bandra home. Reportedly, Rajput was suffering from depression for the last six months. His body was found hanging in his room after the door was broken. His post-mortem revealed his death cause, asphyxia. On Monday, 15 June 2020, Rajput was cremated at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans crematorium around 4:30 pm.

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput’s Funeral

• Sushant Singh Rajput’s alleged suicide sent shock waves across the country. Many Bollywood celebs and other prominent persons from various fields mourned his sudden demise.

  Narendra Modi’s Tweet on Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death

   

  

  Shah Rukh Khan’s Tweet About Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death

• Sushant Singh’s alleged suicide started a new wave of discussion about nepotism in Bollywood, and many people from inside the film industry blamed certain groups in the industry responsible for Sushant’s death. From Abhinav Kashyap to Kangana Ranaut, many people lashed out their anger over the nepotism and other such things in Bollywood for compelling the outsiders in the industry to take the extreme step.

 

• After Sushant’s death, many Bollywood celebs were called for investigations by Maharashtra Police, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali who revealed that he had offered four films to Sushant, including Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat, but due to his contract with YRF, he could not accept those films. ^[44] Later, Sushant’s father, K. K. Singh filed an FIR in Bihar, and Bihar Police started a separate investigation into the matter; creating a row between Maharashtra Police and Bihar Police.

• Amid growing online campaign fuelled by many conspiracy theories, Sushant Singh’s death case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020. The agency filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, common friend Samuel Miranda, and three others. In a statement, the agency said,

  CBI has registered a case related to the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on the request of Bihar government and further notification from GoI and taken over the investigation of the case, earlier registered at police station Rajiv Nagar, Patna vide FIR no.241/2020 dated 25-7-2020. The case was registered against six accused and others.” ^[45]

• Later, the row between Maharashtra Police and Bihar Police reached the Supreme Court where, on 19 August 2020, the apex court ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Sushant’s death in Mumbai. The judgment by a Single Judge Bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy was based on a plea filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty to transfer an FIR of abetment to suicide registered against her in connection with Sushant’s death from Patna to Mumbai. ^[46]

• After Sushant’s death, his family members decided to turn his childhood home in Patna into A memorial, they have also decided to set up a foundation, Sushant’s Singh Rajput Foundation (SSRF), which will aim to support budding talents in the fields of cinema, sports, and science. ^[47]

   

  

  Sushant Singh Rajput’s Patna House

• His last film, Dil Bechara was premiered on Disney+Hotstar on 24 July 2020 in which he played the role of “Manny” alongside Sanjana Sanghi who played the role of “Kizie.”

• Dil Bechara is the remake of “The Fault in Our Stars,” an American romantic drama based on the 2012 novel of the same name by John Green.