Sushant Singh Rajput (21 January 1986 – 14 June 2020) was an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He starred in a number of commercially successful Hindi films such as M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Kedarnath (2018) and Chhichhore (2019). Due to his contribution to the film industry, he received a Screen Award and was nominated for the Filmfare Awards on three occasions. He appeared on Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list twice since 2017.
Rajput began his acting career after dropping out of his engineering course at the Delhi College of Engineering and entering the theatre industry in Mumbai. He moved on to feature in Hindi television serials, his debut show was the romantic drama Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil (2008), followed by the lead role in the soap opera Pavitra Rishta (2009–2011). He made his film debut with the film adaptation Kai Po Che! (2013) which became a critical and commercial success. He followed up with his starring roles as a tourist guide in the romantic comedy Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and the titular detective in the action thriller Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015).
Rajput also starred in a number of other films such as the reincarnation drama Raabta (2017), the historical drama Sonchiriya (2019) and the action thriller Drive (2019). His highest-grossing releases came with a supporting role in the satire PK (2014), and from the titular role in the sports biopic of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. For his performance in the latter, he received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and became the winning nomination at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Apart from acting, he was the founder of a nonprofit organisation and has been credited as the co-founder of a technological startup.
Rajput died by suicide at his home in Bandra, Mumbai in June 2020, aged 34. His last film, Dil Bechara (2020), was released posthumously on the streaming platform Hotstar.
Early life and Education
Sushant Singh Rajput was born in Patna in the state of Bihar to Krishna Kumar Singh and Usha Singh. His father is a retired technical officer and worked at Bihar State Handloom Corporation in Patna. He was the youngest of five siblings and had the nickname Gulshan. One of his four sisters Mitu Singh was a state-level cricket player. He attended the St. Karen’s High School in Patna. His family moved to Delhi following his mother’s death in 2002 where Rajput completed his schooling for intermediate studies in Kulachi Hansraj Model School.
Rajput was reportedly an avid reader who was deeply interested in astrophysics and won the National Olympiad in Physics. He secured admission in the Delhi College of Engineering (later renamed Delhi Technological University) to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering. According to Rajput, he did not have any interest in engineering but his family gave him no option which left him dissatisfied. He instead wanted to become an astronaut and later an air force pilot but was also interested in Bollywood, being a fan of Shah Rukh Khan.
Sushant Singh Rajput Height Weight Age Body Statistics Biography
| Sushant Singh Rajput Biodata and Biography | |
| Name | Sushant Singh Rajput |
| Nick-name | Guddu |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 21 January 1986 |
| Age | 37 Years (as in 2023) |
| Date of Death | 14 June 2020 (Suicide by hanging) |
| Death of Place | At his flat on Hill Road, Bandra, Mumbai |
| Profession / Occupation | Actor, Dancer Philanthropist (Hindi) |
| Mother Tongue | Hindi |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Nation | Indian |
| Caste | Khatri |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height / Weight | 5′ 10” / 70kg |
| First Movie | Kai Po Che! (2013) |
| First Debut | Film: Kai Po Che! (2013) TV: Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil (2008) |
| Money Factor | Rs. 5-6 Crores/film |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Family and Relatives | |
| Father | Krishna Kumar Singh (Retired Govt. Officer) |
| Mother | Late. Usha Singh |
| Brothers | Gulshan |
| Sisters | Mitu Singh (State Level Cricketer) & 3 more (all are elder) |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Wife | N/A |
| Daughters | N/A |
| Sons | N/A |
| Girlfriends/ Affairs | Ankita Lokhande (2011-2016) Kriti Sanon (Actress, Rumoured) Rhea Chakraborty (Actress) |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Height, Weight and Body Measurements | |
| Height in Centimeters | 178 cm |
| Height in Meters | 1.78 m |
| Height in Feet Inches | 5′ 10” |
| Weight | 70kg |
| Body Measurement | 42-30-15 |
| Chest Size | 42 inches |
| Waist Size | 30 inches |
| Biceps Size | 15 inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Favorites | |
| Favorite Colour | Black |
| Favorite Actor | Shah Rukh Khan, James Dean, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Day-Lewis |
| Favorite Actress | Isha Sherwani, Tabu, Jennifer Lawrence |
| Favorite Food | Rajmah Chawal, Aloo Paranthas, Chicken, Lobsters, Prawns |
| Favorite Beverages | Tea with lots of sugar, Lime Juice |
| Hobbies | Dancing, Playing Video Games |
| Favorite Film Director | Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Raj Kumar Hirani, Anand Gandhi |
| Favorite Sport | Tennis |
| Favorite Cricketer | Sourav Ganguly |
| Favorite Destination | Norway, New Zealand |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Education School and Colleges | |
| Education Qualification | Mechanical Engineering dropout. |
| School | St. Karen’s High School, Patna Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Delhi |
| College / University | Delhi Technological University (DTU), New Delhi |
| Others | Not Known |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Residence and Contact Address | |
| Birth Place | Maldiha, Purnea, Bihar, India |
| Home Town | Maldiha, Purnea, Bihar, India |
| Present Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| House Address | Hill Road, Bandra, Mumbai, India |
| Website | Not Known |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Awards, Honours, Achievements | |
| Indian Television Academy Awards | 2010: Most Popular Actor for Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV) |
| BIG Star Entertainment Awards | 2010: Best Television Actor for Pavitra Rishta |
| Boroplus Gold Awards | 2010: Best Actor in a Lead Role for Pavitra Rishta 2011: Best Actor in a Lead Role for Pavitra Rishta |
| Kalakar Awards | 2011: Favorite Actor for Pavitra Rishta |
| Producers Guild Film Awards | 2014: Best Male Debut for Kai Po Che! (Film) |
| Screen Awards | 2014: Best Male Debut for Kai Po Che! |
| Screen Awards | 2017: Best Actor (Critics) for M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story |
| Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | 2017: Best Actor for M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story |
| Sushant Singh Rajput Social Media | |
| itsssr | |
| SushantSinghRajput/ | |
| sushantsinghrajput | |
| Wikipedia | Sushant_Singh_Rajput |
Personal life
Rajput’s personal relationships have been the subject of widespread media attention. In 2011, Rajput publicly proposed to his Pavitra Rishta co-star Ankita Lokhande during a national broadcast of the dance competition show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa; both of them had participated in the show as competing contestants.The couple began dating after their first meeting on the set of Pavitra Rishta, where they had been cast as husband and wife to each other. In 2012, they began living together, and reports of an imminent marriage between the two occasionally cropped up in the media. In an interview, Rajput stated that marriage and cohabitation were no different and that it was hypocritical to treat the former as sacred and the latter as a crime. At an event, he had said, “I am very transparent about my relationships. I mean I will not hesitate to say that I am in a relationship”.
In 2014, rumours that they were already secretly married due to family pressure were denied by the couple. In January 2016, Rajput confirmed that a lavish wedding would take place in December, but the relationship ended prior to that, with the pair maintaining silence on the reasons for the cancellation. In a 2021 interview, Lokhande said that Rajput wanted to go ahead in his career and they ended their relationship mutually.
After the breakup, Rajput’s relationship status became the subject of speculation and gossip. He was rumored to be dating his Raabta co-star Kriti Sanon which was denied by both of them In 2017, Rajput courted controversy when he came out in support of the producers of Padmaavat whose sets were vandalised by members of the Rajput Karni Sena. That same year, he became the co-owner of Delhi Gladiators, a team in the Super Boxing League. In preparation for his role in Chanda Mama Door Ke, he was given the opportunity to train at NASA where he intended to go back and complete his instructor training, aspiring to be chosen for the 2024 Artemis program. Retaining his interest in astronomy and astrophysics, he purchased the high end Meade LX-600 16″ telescope for stargazing purposes. He also had a collection of 125 books including a six-volume theoretical physics series. Rajput stated in an August 2017 interview that his collection was not for film research, but covered personal interests in multiple disciplines, including cognitive science and behavioral economics. He was reportedly an avid reader who would bring books during tours for film shooting.
In 2018, he was the subject of another rumour regarding his Kedarnath co-star Sara Ali Khan. The rumours were never confirmed as before the two supposedly broke up, Rajput refused to comment on the claims. Later in the next year, it was reported that he was dating actress Rhea Chakraborty and that they intended to keep the matter private. When questioned, he reportedly unwittingly confirmed the relationship by stating that if interviewers asked questions that were only about him, he could answer at his own discretion but he would also have to ask “somebody” before confirming any details. Chakraborty and Rajput were occasionally spotted on “dates” and outings in Mumbai,and on a vacation to the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
After Rajput’s death, Chakraborty confirmed that she was his girlfriend and that he would refuse medication, relying instead on yoga and meditation. According to Rajput’s father, the actor mentioned his plans to marry in 2021 but did not reveal his intended bride; Ankita Lokhande was the only girlfriend that his father had known about.
Death
On 14 June 2020, Rajput, aged 34, was found dead, hanging from the ceiling fan in his home in Bandra, Mumbai. He had reportedly shown signs of clinical depression and was suffering from bipolar disorder. The Mumbai Police commenced an investigation, stating that the death was being treated as a suicide. The postmortem report stated that the cause of death was “asphyxia due to hanging,” and called it a “clear case of suicide.” The autopsy doctors placed the time of death at 10 to 12 hours before postmortem examination on 14 June at 11:30 p.m.—meaning between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (Indian Standard Time). No foul play was found. The viscera report likewise ruled out foul play. On 25 July, Rajput’s family lodged a first information report with police in Patna, where his father lives, accusing Rhea Chakraborty and five others of abetment of suicide.
On 31 July, Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a case to investigate the money laundering of Rajput’s money from his bank accounts by Chakraborty, her parents and associates. On 19 August 2020, the Supreme Court of India allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indian national government’s top investigating agency, to take control of the investigationand ordered the CBI to look into any future cases registered in relation to Rajput’s death. Later, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) also filed a case to investigate drug peddling, based on phone chats forwarded to it by ED during its investigation.
On 8 September, Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the NCB in a drug case linked to the investigation of the death probe. Prior to the arrest, 9 others were arrested by the NCB in the drug case including Rhea’s brother, Showik Chakraborty.
On 7 September, Chakraborty filed an FIR against the late actor’s sisters, claiming they had supplied him psychotrophic anti-depressants without proper medical consultation and using a forged prescription. She requested an investigation into whether these had resulted in his suicide or a decline in his mental state. The following month, Rajput’s sisters asked the High Court to cancel the FIR. The Bombay High Court agreed to invalidate the FIR against his sister Meetu but upheld the FIR against his sister Priyanka, stating that there was “prima facie evidence” against her. The Supreme Court also rejected an appeal filed by Priyanka Singh and the filing was handed to the CBI to investigate.
On 3 October, Dr. Sudhir Gupta of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, leader of a forensic medical team tasked by CBI for assistance, said, “Sushant death is a case of suicide. Murder completely ruled out.” Gupta told Asian News International (ANI), “There were no injuries over the body other than hanging. There were no marks of struggle or scuffle in the body and clothes of the deceased.” On 5 October, ANI reported that the AIIMS medical board had submitted its report to CBI confirming that Rajput died by suicide and ruling out murder. On 15 October 2020, the CBI said it “continues to investigate the death of Rajput. There are certain speculative reports in the media that the CBI has reached a conclusion. It may be reiterated that these reports are speculative and erroneous.”
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film or Series | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Indian Telly Awards | Most Popular Actor (Male) | Pavitra Rishta | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Indian Television Acakdemy Awards | Most Popular Actor (Male) | Won | ||
| BIG Star Entertainmkent Awards | Best Television Actor (Male) | Won | |||
| Gold Awards | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Won | |||
| 2011 | Won | ||||
| FICCI Frames Excellence Honours | Best TV Actor (Male) | Won | |||
| 2014 | Producers Guild Film Awards | Best Male Debut | Kai Po Che! | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | ||||
| Screen Awards | Best Male Debut | Won | |||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Male Debut | Nominated | |||
| IIFA Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
| Filmfare Awards | Best Debut Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Screen Awards | Best Actor (Critics) | M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story | Won | |
| 2017 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Actor – Male | Nominated | |||
| Stardust Awards | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Actor (Male) | Nominated | |||
| Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | Best Actor | Won | |||
| 2020 | Screen Awards | Best Actor (Critics) | Chhichhore | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Filmfare Awards | Best Actor (Male) | Dil Bechara | Nominated |