Kushal Punjabi Demise: Depression, Separation From Wife and Lack Of Work, Were Reasons For Suicide, Says Friend Chetan Hansraj

In a tragic turn of affairs, actor Kushal Punjabi committed suicide on the night of December 26, 2019 at his Pali Hill residence in Bandra. After not being able to get in touch with their son, Kushal's parents and friends entered his in Alsid Apartment home late in the night using a duplicate key, only to find him hanging to the ceiling. The Police also recovered a suicide note wherein Kushal blamed no one for his suicide and also requested that his property be distributed between his parents and sister and his 3-year-old son Kian. Kushal Punjabi's Suicide Note Does Not Hold Anybody Responsible, Says Police

Kushal's close friend Chetan Hansraj, talking to Times of India revealed that the former was battling with depression, contemplating a separation from his wife Audrey Dolhen and also lack of work for some time now. "Kushal was a fighter but what he has done has left us all in shock. There are multiple reasons—family issues and work-related—for him to undergo depression. I had known him for the last 20 years and he was a very cheerful person. He had been staying alone at the rented flat in Bandra for almost a year and was without work, which could be one of the reasons that took a toll on him. His wife moved to Shanghai six months ago because of the nature of her work." Kushal Punjabi Passes Away: From Shweta Shetty’s Deewane to Amitabh Bachchan’s Oye Bubbly, 5 Popular Music Videos That Featured the Late Actor

It is being said that while his wife wanted him to move to Shanghai because of her work, Punjabi was of the thought that they should move to a place where he could continue pursuing his acting ambitions.

Chetan also told BT, "Kushal had hit a low. He was worried about lack of work, and he was also going through a separation from his wife. I would often tell Kushal not to feel demoralised about work, as such phases are common in this industry. I always told him to get his life together, but little did I know that he would end it. He was with his son and had returned to India only recently." The report also mentioned that Audrey had been informed about Punjabi’s death and that she would soon be flying to the country.

Rapper Baba Sehgal, who was also one of Kushal's close friends, told BT, "When they say you should meet your friends and keep in touch, they don’t say it just like that. You never know what they are going through. I really don’t know what made Kushal take such a drastic step. I wish he and I were in touch over the past few days.” Kushal Punjabi Funeral: Karanvir Bohra, Chetan Hansraj, Shenaz Treasury, Karan V Grover and Other TV Personalities Arrive to Pay Last Respects to the Late Actor (Pics)

Said Karanvir Bohra, who posted a heartfelt note on Instagram in remembrance of Kushal, said, "I have known him for 16 years and the Kushal I knew was a strong man, both mentally and physically. I could never imagine he would do something like this. He was truly an inspiration for me. He would always keep honing his skills. If he was not acting, he would dance, direct, write. He was such an amazing and doting father. This also makes me think about the lives we all lead on social media. How happy are you really? Or are you leading a second life on social media? In Kushal’s case, what he posted on social media wasn’t a facade, that was real. But we could never imagine that he would do something as drastic as this. I am really shaken up."

Actress Narayani Shastri shared another side of the late actor and said, "Kushal wasn’t stressed about his work. He loved his profession and was expanding his horizons by getting into writing and direction as well. His reasons were more personal and I would not like to discuss that. Every person reacts to a situation differently, we can’t judge anything."

Karan Patel, whose Instagram post hinted that Kushal was depressed, told the daily, "In my social media post, I had written, ‘The happiest faces hide the most saddened hearts.’ I wrote that because I have known Kushal for a long time and he was a great guy. Forget being negative, he never had even a frown on his face. He was also one of the best athletes I know. He was positive, cheerful and full of life. Seeing his zest for life, I never thought that he would bid his final goodbye like this." Kushal Punjabi Demise: Karanvir Bohra, Ravi Dubey, Shweta Tiwari, Divyanka Tripathi, Arjun Bijlani, Karan Patel - TV Celebs React

However, actress Shilpa Saklani, whose husband Apurva Agnihotri was Kushal's best friends, does not feel that lack of work was one of the reasons for the late actor to end his life. "Till the day before yesterday, we were planning to head out of Mumbai for New Year’s. Kushal was our hero. If there are 10 people standing in a frame and if I were asked to point out to a person who could die like this, I would never take Kushal’s name. He was so strong and rock solid. Professionally, he had many things to look forward to in 2020. So, Apoorva and I don’t think that he ended his life because of professional lows. On the personal front, too, I know that his wife Audrey and he had planned the best things for their son. I still can’t understand why he did this. He was so brave, but then, you don’t know what happens in that particular moment…"

Kushal did limited but noticeable work in both films and television with projects like Ishq Mein Marjawan (his last TV outing', Kkusum, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Zindagi Wins and was also a part of films like Lakshya, Salaam-E-Ishq and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. Kushal's last rites were performed this afternoon. Our deepest condolences are with his family and friends.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2019 05:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).