In a shocking turn of events, model, actor, anchor and reality-show participant Kushal Punjabi ended his life on Thursday evening. It is not known why the 37-year-old, survived by his wife and four-year-old son, committed suicide.
Known for his performances in films such as the Karan Johar and Shah Ruk Khan-produced, Kaal, the Prakash-Jha-produced Crazy Cukkad Family (which he scripted too), the entertainer is also remembered for his debut film, Bomgay, where he featured in a gay gang-rape sequence with Rahul Bose. Punjabi’s scripting stint for CCF had him particularly excited. He had revealed to this correspondent, “I got the story idea during my visit to a family function but I didn’t know that it would turn into a film. I wrote the script and kept it aside. But later, through a friend, I got in touch with Prakashji and he readily accepted to make it into a film.”
Punjabi has had some bitter experiences in the past, dealing with roles that turned out to be far less important than he was led to believe. Apparently, nearly half of Punjabi’s role in a football-based film was chopped off.
Shocked by the actor’s suicide, fellow-actor Karanvir Bohra says, “When I heard about Kushal Punjabi’s suicide, I was shocked. He was always so enthusiastic about so many things. He had his hands full with various activities, always on the job full of energy. What could’ve driven him to take such an extreme step?”
