‘The indelible loss that may not be compensated ever’ – Remembering Sushant Singh Rajput

India wasn’t ready for 2020! Waking up every morning to news of thousands of humans losing their lives to an ungodly virus wasn’t bread and butter for an average person. And then, Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, two of India’s colossus in the film industry, passed away in a space of two days. The procession wasn’t going to end anytime soon. On June 14, 2020, one of India’s youth icons breathed his last- Sushant Singh Rajput was no more.

He was 34 and had a movie lined up for release in late July. To pay him tribute, Hotstar streamed his last film ‘Dil Bechara’ for free. Coincidentally, Rajput’s character in the movie also lost his life, though the mode of his demise in his ‘reel life’ was a bit different from his ‘real life’. The scenes of his lifeless body at his residence aren’t going to get erased from the memories in a jiffy.

It was around half-past two when the news broke, sending the world in sheer disbelief. A year down the line, the reason for him, taking the drastic step is still pretty much unclear. Throwing mud at Bollywood celebrities, disparaging them for triggering Sushant’s demise and the never-ending issue of nepotism came to the fore. Things turned ugly, uglier, and then the ugliest.

Amidst the hullabaloo lied the question- Was Sushant going to come back to life? No prizes for guessing the answer.

The identity conundrum

Sushant wasn’t someone of the stature of the celebrated Khans, but he had an aura that oozed class and oomph. In September 2016, when MS Dhoni– The Untold Story was about to release, there were apprehensions over his potential to enact the role of one of India’s greatest cricketers.

Nearly five years down the line, it remains one of his best, if not his best, performance on-screen. Superseding Dhoni’s stature is a tough task, and the reasons are understandable with him leading India for nearly a decade. Sushant might have done the near impossible.

From his quarks when he went out to bat in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, the enactment of the iconic ‘Helicopter Shot’ to his facial expressions, one can’t be blamed for misidentifying Sushant as Dhoni, who is set to turn 40 years in around three weeks.

He imitated Dhoni to the extent that people started getting a glimpse of the former Indian skipper in the late actor. Sushant’s movies didn’t feature among the highest grossers, but were critically acclaimed. Now it’s all in the past, and all one is left with are his priceless memories.

Are we putting enough emphasis on the value of life?

Sushant was among the many celebs to embrace the heavens in 2020 due to various reasons. Even as it’s only known to Almighty when the investigations surrounding his demise will end, the fact that it’s hard to fill his massive shoes can’t be dismissed out of sight.

Apart from them, commoners also lost their lives- some due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a few due to other reasons. It’s been one and half years since things started going awry in the country. The first wave of the virus followed by the second wave has worn people down.

From people not being able to attend the funeral of their loved ones, people being stripped of their jobs, to a number of hassles- the world is still in a resurrection mode. But despite the turmoil, complacency has snuck in; the importance of taking precautions is being iterated time and again.

In one of his movies, ‘Chhichhore’, Sushant had said, “Zindagi Mein sabse zyaba important hai… toh woh hai khud Zindagi. (If anything is most important in life, it’s life itself.” It’s as simple, nothing is more valuable than human life, NOTHING!

The world won’t be seeing another Sushant Singh Rajput. The knowledgeable character he was, maybe his life wasn’t valued enough. The universe couldn’t save him, but the world can take care of itself in unity and mitigate the damage. There’s always a chance to make amends.

Rest in Peace SSR, wherever you are!