“Tumhara result decide nahi karta hai ki tum loser ho ki nahi, tumhari koshish decide karti hai.”
Dedication and sincerity are key to an actor’s success. Sushant Singh Rajput had them both. An alumnus from Delhi College of Engineering, Sushant chose to pursue acting, training with Barry John’s theatre group in Delhi and went to the peak of success in no time.
In his journey as an actor, the 34-year-old actor has given his fans so much to cherish that the film industry will forever feel his loss.
As we all mourn the tragic demise of Sushant, here’s a list of his best performances in a short but impactful career where he worked with some of the most noted directors in the industry.
Chhichhore (2019)
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari of, Dangal fame, Chhichhore was Sushant’s last film on the big screen. The most heartbreaking fact remains that the film deals with a suicide attempt as a subject. Sushant’s character delivered a message to every parent in the country how pressurising children is not okay.
The talented actor played a character of caring dad in his elder avatar and as a happy-go-lucky student in his younger role and won plaudits for both. The critically-acclaimed film was a super-hit on the box-office and booked its place in Rs 100 crore club. The film received five nominations at the 65th Filmfare Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Dialogues and Best Storyline.
Available on Disney+ Hotstar
MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
One of the finest performances by the actor. He imbibed the heart and evolution of a small-town boy from Jharkhand living the larger-than-life role of the former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni.
Directed by Neeraj Pandey, the film remains one of the most inspirational biopics in Bollywood history. Sushant did exceedingly well, both as playing on-screen Dhoni and exhibiting his cricketing skills just like the cricket legend.
Sushant received several awards for his portrayal as Dhoni and also received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
Available on Disney+ Hotstar
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015)
Dark, ominous camerawork, a thrilling premise and fantastic costumes made the film one to remember. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, the mystery had Sushant showing off his acting talent in one more unique movie, based on the legendary character of the Bengali detective.
Though the film failed to impress on the big screen, the actor plunged himself in his character and gave a trustworthy act as Byomkesh.
Available on Prime Video
PK (2015)
Screen-timing had nothing to do with Sushant Singh’s talent. A brief role in the movie which already had Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma in the lead, he made sure he would be remembered for the cameo. Sarfraz won many hearts with his subtleness while romancing Anushka.
Trivia: Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were considered for the character played by Sushant.
Available on Netflix
Kai Po Che! (2013)
Sushant made his Bollywood debut in this Abhishek Kapoor directorial Kai Po Che! The movie was an adaption of Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller The 3 Mistakes of My Life.
Sushant’s character Ishaan thought with heart and was short-tempered. But he was generous and had a vision. The role made him an instant hit among the fans. A super-hit, Sushant won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, starting a successful changeover from television to films.
Available on Netflix
Pavitra Rishta (2009-11)
Sushant entered the small-screen through Ekta Kapoor’s TV show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. The young man impressed Ekta Kapoor; as a result, he was given a lead role in Pavitra Rishta. Sushant went on to be the new poster boy of Indian television. His character Manav Deshmukh would hang as posters in many young girls’ wardrobe and wallpapers.
Viewers praised his on-screen chemistry with Ankita Lokhande, who played Archana on the show. And the rest was history.
Available on Zee5
