I see you celestial!

“Oh, they say people come
Say people go
This particular diamond was extra special
And though you might be gone
And the world may not know
Still I see you, celestial”

Sushant Singh Rajput is not only a name but an emotion. I have first known him as Manav (from Pavitra Rishta) and very unfortunately it ended in Manny (from Dil Bechara). It was not only his acting that everyone loved but his infectious smile, glowing eyes, which made him extraordinarily charming.

Sushant, a small-town boy who came to the national capital and took admission in India’s top engineering college dropped out in the third year to find success in showbiz. His career growth felt very personal because we saw him evolve from the small screen to dance reality shows and eventually to Bollywood with ‘Kai Po Che’ in 2013. Then there was no looking back. Within two to three years he emerged as a big star in the Bollywood film industry.

The thing which amazed me about Sushant was his on-screen roles reflected his real-life persona. Be it Pavitra Rishta’s Manav Deshmukh- a nice guy or his portrayal of former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni in ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’. Just like MSD, Sushant was a small town boy and remained humble even after achieving success. No one can ever justify this role other than him.

He was a half-engineer as he dropped out of his college. He got to play an engineer on the big screen in his last theatrical release ‘Chhichhore’ (2019). In this film, he spread awareness about mental health and depression. Sadly the ending of his last film ‘Dil Bechara’ also became relatable to his real life.

Can anyone imagine an actor having a sophisticated telescope in his house? Sushant had, he was very passionate about astronomy as he was about acting. He fondly remembered his life as an engineering student and didn’t lose interest in science being an artist. This again made him unique as many who enter a creative field from an academic one often don’t keep in touch with the things they previously did just because they don’t have interest in it.

In an interview Sushant told “To be a good actor is hard, but to become a good human is very hard” and I think he achieved this which reflects in the number of people crying about his death. He was the only actor of such fame and followers who used to reply to his fans comments on his post regularly and even he followed them on Instagram and I was lucky of being one of them. Such humble and down to earth personality he was.

It’s a year that we lost him and still I can’t believe that he is no more with us. Such a remarkable journey he had which will inspire the generations to come. For now, we can celebrate his life by following those 50 dreams which he mentioned in his diary in our own ways possible.

Sushant was a star in a true sense because he shined bright in every space he worked in. Now we can watch this star in a sky full of stars shining brightest as one of his fans has officially named a star after him.

As I think more and write about him tears roll down my eyes and feel a blow in my gut. This is a personal loss which created a void forever.

“When someone you love dies, so does your own will to live. But still death doesn’t take you. And it’s illegal to die by suicide. So must continue this sorry existence. Smile!”