The TV industry is still reeling under the shocking death of Tunisha Sharma on the sets of her show Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul. The 20-year-old actress reportedly died by suicide; she hanged herself in a make-up room on the sets in Naigaon on Saturday. The Waliv police has arrested her co-star Sheezan Khan under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Tunisha and Sheezan were apparently in a relationship, but in the past few days, there was trouble between them. Following her death, her mother lodged a complaint against Sheezan, after which he was arrested. Yesterday, he was produced at Vasai Court and has been sent to four-day police custody.
Tunisha’s co-actors from Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul still can’t believe what has happened. Rumi Khan said, “I am shocked! How could this happen to someone who seemed absolutely fine just a few hours earlier? On Saturday, I was not shooting, but we had a quick chat over messages around 2 pm. She was like a daughter to me. She had lost her father when she was very young and she used to tell me that I resemble him. We shared a special bond and I cared for her. She was a sweet and kind soul and my heart goes out to her mother.”
J Karthik, who plays the lead antagonist on Tunsiha-Sheezan’s TV show Ali Baba Dastaan-E-Kabul expressed shock saying, “If you see the videos Tunisha has posted just before the incident, it is hard to believe that someone in that frame of mind would take such a step. It looks like there is a hidden story behind this and I hope the investigation leads to some clear results.”
Kartik, who is currently in Bengaluru, has not been shooting for the show for the past few weeks. Talking about Tunisha and Sheezan, he said, “She came across as a very quiet, reserved girl and seemed very focused on her work. Tunisha and Sheezan were friends and there was no talk about a relationship of any sort that I am aware of. They would hang out together during lunch, they were jovial and happy.”
As a senior on the sets, Karthik feels that youngsters today find it difficult to deal with pressure. “There is this urgency and immediate need for instant gratification among youngsters, which can be disturbing. Everyone wants to do well and better than others, there is competition, but the competition is not healthy. They are in the rat race, but are unable to deal with the pressure that comes along with it. It is sad that there is nobody around who can spare some time and give a bit of advice when a person is feeling low. Everyone is fighting for survival; nobody wants to get involved in anybody else’s issues. It is a lonely world for someone so young and impressionable, and that can be scary.”
TV show’sshoot comes to a halt
After the incident on Saturday, the shoot of Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul came to a halt. The future of the show, too, seems uncertain, given the fact that Tunisha and Sheezan were the lead actors. However, the cast and crew are hoping that the shoot will resume at some point. “It is going to take some time for the production house to decide how to go about getting the show back on track,” said a cast member.
Tunisha’s last post on social media
Tunisha was active on social media. A few hours before her death, she had posted a video on her Instagram stories, where she could be seen sitting in a chair getting her make-up done. “#BTS #STAYTUNED,” she wrote. She had also posted a picture from the set around the same time, with a caption that read, “Those who are driven by their Passion Doesn’t stop (sic).”
Doctors have ruled out pregnancy in the post-mortem: ACP Chandrakant Jadhav
ACP Chandrakant Jadhav said, “The police registered an FIR based on the mother’s complaint under Section 306 of IPC for abetment of suicide.” Talking about the rumours of Tunisha being pregnant at the time of death, he said, “The post-mortem happened on Saturday night, in which the panel of doctors ruled out pregnancy. Also, the cause of death is by hanging.”
Tunisha began her showbiz career as a child artiste
Tunisha began her career as a child artiste and played young Katrina Kaif in films like Fitoor and Baar Baar Dekho. She was also seen in Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh and Dabangg 3. On TV, she acted in shows like Internet Wala Love, Ishq Subhan Allah and Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, among others.
Television industry is a tough place, but we shouldn’t give up, say actors
“At an early stage of my acting career, I became depressed after losing out on a project. But my friends and family me to get out of that dark place. I feel that social media also adds to the pressure as people have to put up happy faces there and no one really knows the problem that person is going through. Keeping in mind the industry we work in, we all go through difficult times but we have to face it head-on and with the support of our loved ones.”
– Rakesh Paul, actor
“It is sad and disturbing to see young actors taking such drastic steps in life. Even when I came to Mumbai from Madhya Pradesh, I went through my share of struggles. But stayed strong with the help of my family and kept working hard. I feel that when someone slips into depression, they should seek help from friends and family because that is something that has helped me too.”
– Palak Sindhwani, actor
Look out for signs like stress, dullness, lack of focus: experts
“The industry can be very demanding in terms of long working hours, persistent insecurities etc. The first sign to look out for is if you wake up with stress/ anxiety and don’t feel like going to work, which you otherwise enjoy. Other aspects include lack of focus or physical dullness. People also go through bad relationships, which can be stressful. It is important to openly talk about this with close ones or to reach out to an expert.”
– Parul Khona, counsellor
