Ekta Kapoor with Sushant Singh Rajput. (courtesy ektarkapoor)

New Delhi:

The film industry has been left shocked and saddened by the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in his Mumbai home on Sunday. Among the flood of tributes that have been posted since was one from producer Ekta Kapoor, who gave Sushant Singh Rajput his break as an actor. Two weeks ago, Ms Kapoor revealed on Instagram the story of how the TV channel that aired Pavitra Rishta opposed the casting of Mr Rajput. Her post prompted an exchange of comments with the actor, a screenshot of which Ms Kapoor attached with her tribute post.

Ekta Kapoor wrote in her tribute: “Not fair Sushi! One week everything changed! Not fair my baby!” She didn’t explain what she meant by everything changing in a week.

In her original post, shared on Pavitra Rishta’s 11th anniversary, Ekta Kapoor revealed that the channel that aired the show needed some convincing that Sushant Singh Rajput, then a newbie playing second lead on the Ekta Kapoor-produced show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil, was the right fit for the lead role of Manav on Pavitra Rishta. She held out and he was eventually cast, rising to stardom on the small screen and then on the big. “And I’m forever grateful to you ma’am,” Sushant Singh Rajput commented on Ms Kapoor’s post.

Ekta Kapoor Instagrammed her exchange with Mr Rajput on Sunday:

Pavitra Rishta, which ran for five years, starred Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande in the lead roles. After the show ended, Mr Rajput switched to Bollywood; he made his film debut in 2013’s Kai Po Che! directed by Ekta Kapoor’s cousin Abhishek Kapoor. His film credits also include Raabta, MS Dhoni: An Untold Story, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! and PK. Sushant Singh Raput last appeared in the 2019 films Sonchiriya, Chhichhore and Drive.

(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)
Helplines:
AASRA: 91-22-27546669 (24 hours)
Sneha Foundation: 91-44-24640050 (24 hours)
Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health: 1860-2662-345 and 1800-2333-330 (24 hours)
iCall: (555)123-4567 (Available from Monday to Saturday: 8:00am to 10:00pm)
Connecting NGO: 18002094353 (Available from 12 pm – 8 pm)