He saved up for a bat only to discover he had no friends to play with: Nitasha Gaurav, Manish Malhotra and others mourn Sushant Singh Rajput’s untimely demise

By Malvika Mistry

on June 15, 2020

The sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput left a hard-to-fill void in the Bollywood industry, as well as some unanswered and important questions regarding mental well-being. The Kai Po Che actor committed suicide at his Mumbai residence on June 14, and bid adieu to the world at the age of 34.

Soon after the news broke, the fashion fraternity grieved the loss of this Indian Cinema's gem and bid a final adieu to their beloved star.

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Soon after we had begun working with Sushant, a shoot in January 2017 called for us to travel overseas for 3 days. The shoot was finalised at the eleventh hour, which put me in a predicament because multiple other commitments compelled me to be in Mumbai. Priyanka stayed in Mumbai juggling gigs, and I decided to travel with Sushant and help set things up on the first day, figuring my team could take it from there. Sushant, being on brand, knocked out the work quickly, and suggested we use the remainder our time well. He insisted we needed to squeeze three nights’ worth of hedonism into that one night, since I was traveling back the next day. That one night is a microcosm of how Sushant lived, three lifetimes’ worth of living in one!

A post shared by Priyanka & Kazim (@the.vainglorious) on Jun 14, 2020 at 4:24am PDT

Sushant’s stylists Priyanka and Kazim, a.k.a 'The Vainglorious' reminisced some good old memories with the actor and mentioned that he ‘lived three lifetimes worth of living in one.’

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I worked with him a few years ago, right after Kai Po Chhe was released. He was shy and nervous but excited about the possibilities that lay ahead. He had worked his way up, all the way from Patna to Delhi to Mumbai, from TV to films, from being a background dancer to having solo act in IIFA, from being a nobody to being a regular on magazine covers. It was a journey with remarkable highs but it came with an insidious caveat. So, while he succeeded in making the movies, winning awards, and growing a fan base of millions, the bluster of confidence was awkward and untenable in the face of a mind full of darkness and utter loneliness. He was the boy who saved up for a bat only to discover he had no friends to play with. And that is what is heartbreaking about his death. We knew him, we knew his journey, he knew the game, he played it well, but in the end there was no one to play it with. The remorse he leaves in his wake is intense. The kindness it inspires, precious. N that is possibly his real legacy. #sushantsinghrajput

A post shared by Nitasha Gaurav (@nitashagaurav) on Jun 14, 2020 at 9:35pm PDT

Stylist Nitasha Gaurav, who worked with him briefly after Kai Po Che mourned the loss of SSR and in a gut-wrenching tribute called out to those who posted condolences on their social media account instead of checking up on the actor. Take a look at her post below:

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Gone too soon Sushu... So much talent, such a charmer.. RIP @sushantsinghrajput

A post shared by Anaita Adajania (@anaitashroffadajania) on Jun 14, 2020 at 3:35am PDT

Vogue’s fashion director Anaita Shroff Adajania expressed her grief over Sushant's untimely death.

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This news has been shocking and very sad and heartbreaking #Rip dear #sushantsinghrajput charming , friendly ,warm , smiling always , talented you will truly be missed .

A post shared by Manish Malhotra (@manishmalhotra05) on Jun 14, 2020 at 3:55am PDT

Designer Manish Malhotra, Kunal Rawal, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and stylists Tanya Ghavri, Amandeep Kaur paid homage to the actor on their Instagram stories.