Sushant Singh Rajput, one of Bollywood’s bright young stars, was found dead at at his Mumbai apartment on this day in 2020. His untimely death left fans heartbroken and sent shockwaves in the industry.
Sushant began his career with the TV show ‘Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil’ in which he played a supporting role. However, he rose to fame with his work on ‘Pavitra Rishta’. This paved the way for his Bollywood debut and the rest is history. Sushant emerged as a force to reckon with because of his charismatic screen presence, sincere performances and witty nature. Here is a look at five films that helped SSR leave an inedible impact on the film industry.
The Abhishek Kapoor-directed sports drama featured Sushant in the role of Ishaan, a district-level cricketer who suffers because of politics in the selection process. The film delved into his friendship with Govind (Rajkummar Rao) and Adi (Amit Sadh) and featured several relatable moments. The flick, which was based on Chetan Bhagat’s 3 Mistakes of My Life, did well at the box office and received rave reviews with critics lauding performances.
Sushant Singh Rajput gave strong proof of his abilities as an actor when he delivered and lively yet restrained performance in ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’, a mystery-thriller set in pre-independence Calcutta. The film centred on the events that take place when the titular character decides to investigate a intriguing case involving a key character’s disappearance. The flick received positive reviews with critics lauding the impeccable world-building. Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! , however, failed to live up to expectations at the box office.
Widely regarded as Sushant’s finest film, ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ was based on the life of the legendary cricketer MS Dhoni and captured key moments from his journey. The well-written screenplay did a splendid job of establishing the Chennai Super Kings star as a relatable yet lovable underdog, which made it easy for fans to relate to his struggles. Sushant sunk his teeth into the well-wreitten character and floored the audience with his sincerity. ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, which featured Disha Patani and Kiara Advani as the leading ladies, collected Rs 216 crore at the box office to emerge as a blockbuster.
‘Chhichhore’, Sushant’s last theatrical release, was a touching and enjoyable drama that centred on four friends as they embrace the harsh realities of middle age. It struck a chord with the audience as it featured the perfect mix of humour and emotions. It also garnered attention for highlighting “suicide is not the solution”. ‘Chhichhore’ featured Shraddha Kapoor as the leading lady and marked her first collaboration with Sushant.
‘Dil Bechara’, Sushant’s last film, premiered on Disney+ Hotstar shortly after his death and proved to be a celebration his contribution to the industry. Based on The Fault in Our Stars, It revolved around the friendship between Immanuel “Manny” Rajkumar Jr., who is suffering from bone cancer, and Kizzie, a 21-year-old battling thyroid cancer. Sushant hit it out of the park courtesy of his crackling chemistry with Sanjana Sanghi. The film’s emotional climax and foot-tapping songs too helped it emerged as a success.