EGYZOOMMumbai: 37-year-old actor Kushal Punjabi found hanging in Pali Hill flat
MUMBAI: Actor Kushal Punjabi, 37, who appeared in films such as ‘Kaal’ and ‘Lakshya’ as well as the television reality show ‘Fear Factor’, was found dead in his flat at Pali Hill in Bandra (west) late on Thursday.
His parents and friends came to his flat in Alsid Apartment as he was not answering his phone at around 11.30- pm and found him hanging from a ceiling fan. Police have recovered a one-and-a-half page suicide note in which Punjabi said no one should be held responsible for his action and requested that his property be divided among his parents, sister and his three-year-old son.
Punjabi had been contemplating divorce and was depressed, the police have learnt from his family and friends. “Punjabi’s wife Audrey Dolhen, a foreign national, is employed in Shanghai and wanted him to relocate. But he was of the view that they should move to a place where he could pursue his acting career,” a police officer told TOI. Punjabi’s parents repeatedly tried to contact him since 2pm on Thursday.
When Punjabi did not respond despite their repeated calls on Thursday, his parents contacted his friends and entered his flat using a duplicate key.” They found him hanging and took him to hospital and informed the police. A suicide note was found in which the actor held no one responsible,” said DCP (zone IX) Paramjit Singh Dahiya.
Punjabi started his career as a dancer and model, and appeared in several music videos like ‘Pehla Nasha (remix)’ and DJ Aqeel’s ‘Kehdoon Tumhain’ recreation. He debuted as a TV actor with ‘A Mouthful Of Sky’ and over the years, Punjabi featured in popular shows like ‘Kkusum’, ‘Dekho Magar Pyaar Se’, and ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’. He moved on to films in 1996 and performed alongside well-known stars like Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra in ‘Andaaz’, and with Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta in ‘Lakshya’.
Senior inspector Vijaylaxmi Hiremath said Punjabi stayed alone in the rented flat as his wife lives and works in Shanghai. Their three-year-old son Kian lives with her. She has been informed about the incident, and a case of suicide has been registered. Punjabi’s body has been kept at Cooper Hospital and his wife and son are expected to reach by Thursday night.
In his suicide note, Punjabi wrote that “no one should be held responsible for this extreme step” and that 50% of his property and investments should be given to his son and the other 50% to his parents and sister. He asked that they should share equally his flat in Kandivli, an imported bike, and the Rs 12 lakh he has invested through his CA. The car he used was left to his mother in whose name it was registered.
Residents of Alsid declined to comment, but his close friend Chetan Hansraj, himself an actor, told TOI: “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 an 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.” The last rites will be performed on Saturday, he added.
Another actor-friend Karanvir Bohra said Punjabi’s parents are devastated. “They were saying that he was the backbone of the family. He was the one who inspired everyone, and was the positive guy in the family,” he said online.
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