The news of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden death has come as an absolute shocker to many, including cricketer Digvijay Deshmukh, the actor’s co-star from 2013 film Kai Po Che! In the film, too, Deshmukh played a gifted cricketer being mentored by Rajput’s character, Ishaan, and he shares how in real life also, the actor wanted to see him become a successful cricketer.
“He was passionate about cricket. On the last day of shoot, I had promised him I’d not meet him till I became a decent level cricketer. This year, when I got selected to play for Mumbai Indians, I decided to meet him but then the lockdown happened and now he is no more,” shares Deshmukh in a somber tone, and adds, “I wish the lockdown wouldn’t have been there, at least then I would have been able to fulfil the promise I made to him. I failed to do so.”
The 22-year-old pacer from Pune shares how the actor visited the city during a shooting schedule for his film, MS Dhoni, The Untold Story, in the city. “Even then I did not meet him because I wanted to keep the promise. I regret it,” he says.
But Deshmukh only has fond memories of working with Rajput on the sets of Kai Po Che! He says the actor was very helpful and would rehearse their scenes together well in advance so he was always well` prepared on set.
I was 15 then and I shot with him for six months. He would ask me to come to his room after the shoot got over, and train me with scenes and camera angles. He was very involved. He was very friendly, happy and jovial and so passionate about his work. Even though he was such a big name, he would ask me about cricket since I was already a professional cricketer than,” Deshmukh recounts his interactions with the late actor.
Given the experience he has had with Rajput, the young cricketer says he could never fathom the actor would take such a drastic step and end his life.
“In his (last) film Chhichhore, he talked about how suicide is not the solution, then why did he do it? He was always so energetic and lively, I can’t understand what made him do this. I heard somewhere that he was depressed for a few years, I don’t get it at all,” Desmukh says.
