Mystery of Sushant's Suicide

An old saying goes, "A man has three faces, the first face you show to the world. The Second face you show to your family and friends. The Third face is the face you never show to anyone but yourself."

Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput's untimely death was shocking and distressing to the entire country. To see a lad, give up on the wonders of life is a sad commentary on the state of current human development. While there has been a raging debate about nepotism, groupism, favouritism and factionalism in the film industry whereby star kids apparently find it easier than the outsiders, everyone seems to have missed the wood for the trees when it comes at finding the real causes of his suicide.

At the expense of sounding philosophical, I wish to explore the dimensions which many elites from the glamour industry fail to comprehend. Actor Sushant's public persona was of an exuberant and joyous person. But we all know that public persona is the disguise actors have to flaunt in public to keep them in the spotlight. Fans look up to them for optimism and positivity, but the inner turmoil of many such public personalities remains concealed. The third face, as the saying goes, one never reveals to the outside world and is the truest reflection of what one really is. Depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders are often hidden from the public gaze. Celebrities become prisoners of their PR machinery. They can't be seen crying nor can they be seen displaying any forms of weakness in public due to their self created public persona. If and when they do open the Pandora's box, fans aren't charitable and graceful enough to accept infirmity from their heroes. The public regards them as infallible. Any sign of weakness results in the battering of their public image - the larger the weakness the bigger the loss of public affection. Heroes never fail, is the underlying theme propagated by the popular cinematic universe. Even if the protagonist faces struggles in the movie, ranging from fighting off a villain to grappling financial woes and courting a girl, by the end of the movie, he emerges triumphant. Real-life, unfortunately, doesn't end in three hours. Happy ending, therefore, isn't a destination that needs to be reached.

Entertainers, as they say, are entertainers and should not be taken at face value. But in a nation filled with idol-worshippers or bhakts, every move of the public figure is under intense scrutiny. The celebrity is expected to be idealistic and virtuous. The entire film industry is, amusingly enough, an industry. And just like any other industry, the film and entertainment industry is also teeming with stress for the stakeholders. Call it whatever you want- stress, pressure, depression, unhappiness, workload etc.- but it is an integral part of the industry.

A cursory look at the NCRB data below paints a grim picture of the society at large. More than 1.3 lac people perishing by suicide every year for the past few years is in itself a public health emergency. Contrast that with the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the country so far, 15000, and you're astonished to find out the different treatment given to the two, if I may call so pandemics. Why a knee-jerk decision of a lockdown for one and nothing for the other? Aren't suicides a priority for any health ministry of any government in the country?

Number of Suicides over the Years

Just visualise 70,000 deaths due to COVID-19 by end of June, wouldn't the government be taking remarkable actions to prevent or at least lower the mortality rate then? Why it is then that suicide is given a step-motherly treatment?

I'll continue the subject in the next blog with more personal insights and possible solutions.

-Sunny Gusain

*Views expressed are personal.