Pure diamond: Sushant Rajput's friend Rohini Iyer pens heartfelt eulogy

By Sagar

Jun 17, 2020

09:48 pm

What's the story

Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's close friend and Bollywood publicist Rohini Iyer penned a series of detailed and emotional social media posts, in his remembrance. Rohini said she felt a need to write the posts because of all the "fiction" that people have been sharing on social media about Sushant and his tragic death. Sushant died by suicide at his Mumbai home on Sunday.

Details

'He hated fake friends, phone calls, and small talk'

After Sushant's demise, many celebrities including filmmaker Karan Johar, who produced the actor's last film Drive, lamented for not staying in touch with him lately. Addressing this, Rohini wrote, "He didn't care about these people who are busy posting about not being in touch with him. For the record, he didn't care about being in touch. He hated fake friends, phone calls, small talk."

Details

He rejected your parties and needed no camps: Rohini

Speculations are rife that Sushant faced a boycott from major production houses, lost some films or felt left out by "camps" in Bollywood. Opening up about this, Rohini said, "He rejected your parties, you didn't shun him. He rejected your lobbies. He didn't need camps, he had his own kingdom...He was an outsider and he never cared about being a insider."

Quote

'He did not care about clubs or awards'

"The industry was a small part of his life, he had many worlds beyond that. He didn't give a s**t about success. He never failed...He didn't want to belong to any club or be part of rat race. He didn't care about awards," she added.

Interests

Sushant was a crazy genius, Rohini said

Sushant, who excelled in his engineering education, before becoming an actor, had a diverse range of interests including philosophy, quantum physics and astronomy. "He was as simple as quantum physics. He was a crazy genius. He read (philosophers) Sartre and Nietzsche, he studied astronomy and stoicism, he wrote poetry, played the guitar, wrote with his left and right hand," Rohini wrote.

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'Don't reduce his talent to serve your agenda'

"He cared about saving the planet, the world, about going to Mars, he invested in charities, in science projects and innovations that were beyond your comprehension. So, don't try to make sense of him or reduce his talent to serve your mere agenda," she added.

Statement

'Protecting his legacy is important to me'

Further addressing those opining about Sushant's life, Rohini said, "He was intelligent beyond belief and some of you can barely read. And you know what? He didn't care about all of you or your dumb opinions then." "But I do. Protecting his legacy is important to me. So setting the record straight once and for all," she added.

Funeral

Rohini also explained why she didn't attend Sushant's funeral

Rohini did not attend Sushant's funeral on Monday. Explaining the reason, she wrote in a separate post, "I did not come to say goodbye to you today because saying goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting." "I will remember you every single day of my life and specially every insomniac night... I know you are around me smiling and shining," she added.

Instagram Post

Here is one of Rohini's posts

This has to be said . My best friend is no more , I still have a bloody hard time accepting that and whenever I check social media to check up on news on him, I read fiction and instead of finding people online , i see peddlers . Peddlers pushing their agendas to promote themselves and their causes . Every single person who wants their two bit fame has an opinion on his life . Firstly, he didn’t give a fuck about fame or your opinions. He didn’t care about these people who are busy posting about not being in touch with him. For the record, he didn’t care about being in touch. He hated fake friends, phone calls and small talk. He rejected your parties, you didn’t shun him. He rejected your lobbies . He didnt need camps, he had his own kingdom. He was a fighter . He made his own place in the sun. He was an outsider and he never cared about being a insider . That’s because he had a life beyond films. The industry was a small part of his life , he had many worlds beyond that . He didn’t give a shit about success . He never failed . He has given more super hits than any of his other contemporaries . He just didn’t care about the 100 crore club. He didn’t want to belong to any club or be part of the rat race . He didn’t care about awards . He walked out of an award function just cos he got bored . This was even before they announced his best actor award . You had to be a lot more interesting than a bloody trophy to hold his attention. He was a force of nature. His accomplishments are multifold. He was as simple as quantum physics . He was a crazy genius. He read Sartre and Nietzsche , he studied astronomy and stoicism , he wrote poetry , played the guitar , wrote with his left and right hand. He cared about saving the planet , the world , about going to Mars, he invested in charities , in science projects and innovations that were beyond your comprehension . So please don’t try to make sense of him or reduce his talent to serve your mere agenda .

A post shared by rohiniyer on Jun 16, 2020 at 5:55pm PDT

Career

From a television actor to a Bollywood star

A star on the rise, Sushant first garnered praise for his performance in television serials like Pavitra Rishta. His first Bollywood outing was Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che!, which brought him under the limelight. The actor went on to feature in films like Rajkumar Hirani's PK, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, and Sonchiriya. His last film, Chhichhore was a superhit.

Help

If you are feeling suicidal, please seek help

In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at [phone] or COOJ at [phone]. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at [phone]. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors; their number is 18602662345.