Sushant Singh Rajput left the world much too suddenly and way too soon.
The actor – had a promising career ahead of him, after experiencing the taste of success with several of his critical and commercial successes, but it all came to an abrupt end, due to his untimely death in June 2020.
The 34 year old – who had started his career alongside his former girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande in the famous daily soap opera – Pavitra Rishta, came a long way since his early days, establishing himself as a “lead hero” in mainstream movies.
Few actors from television are able to successful make that kind of transition into the world of movies, but SSR did just that.
After gaining nationwide praise, acclaim and acceptance with his role as Mahendra Singh Dhoni – in the cricketer’s first ever biopic, Sushant never turned back and continued to be featured in several such big-banner releases.
Looking back at some of his best and most memorable works, in his small but unmissable career, here’s listing down 5 of his best film roles:
1) M.S. Dhoni
Based on the life of cricketing ace Dhoni, this unofficial biopic proved Sushant’s gateway to stardom. He clearly put a lot of effort in studying his character to enact his mannerisms on screen as best as he could. Not only did the movie become of his career’s biggest commercial successes, it also garnered him immense critical acclaim for his act.
2) Kai Po Che!
Based on Chetan Bhagat’s 2008 novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, this heart-rendering film was Sushant’s getaway to the world of big-screen magic. He also garnered several ‘Debut Actor’ nominations for his role in the film, generating 83-crore business at the box office. It also became one of the most critically acclaimed film of the year 2013.
3) Detective Byomkesh Bakshi
An under-rated film, with exceptional direction from Dibakar Banerjee – serving as SSR’s most stylish and artsy film yet. This breakthrough role gave Sushant the opportunity to feature in a film that may as well have been turned into a franchise – with the actor flawlessly playing the most suave, sophisticated and realistic detective in Hindi cinema.
4) Sonchiriya
A painfully neglected film, which did not garner the kind of love from audiences as it should have – upon it’s release. This film, focusing on the dacoits of India’s infamous Chambal valley, also featured the likes of Manoj Bajpayee, Ranveer Shoray and Bhumi Padnekar in pivotal roles. With power-packed performances and a brutal depiction of the naxal-prone rural section of the country, this should be a must-watch on your list of SSR movies.
5) Chhichhore
Serving as one of his last films, while he was still here. Released on September 2019, Chhichhore was one of the biggest box-office success stories of the year, generating ₹215.41 crore at the worldwide box office. It’s coming-of-age story and a heart-warming portrayal of student-life struck a resounding chord with youngsters, who deemed it one of the best films of the year. Chhichhore, directed by Dangal-fame Nitesh Tiwari, was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year and deserved a lot more praise at the awards-circuit then it received.
While the controversy regarding, what really contributed to his untimely demise – seems to have eclipsed all other discussions that could have had about his talent, let us also remember him for his hard work and dedication to his craft.
The passionate, starry-eyed and hard-working actor had so much more to offer!