On his death anniversary, while remembering Sushant Singh Rajput and what he taught through his movies, here’s to the memories and life lessons he gave us.
“It’s been a year but
The shock, pain, and hurt are still afresh.
The star has vanished but
His light, warmth, and energy are still here.”
The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput left the nation in shock last year. Trying to believe his untimely demise and grieving for the same, we have completed flipping pages of another annual calendar. The fateful 14th June 2020 is now marked as a black day for SSR’s fans. I am still as short of words as I was last year while penning down his departure from life.
Remembering Sushant Singh Rajput And What He Taught Through His Movies
With the few films and TV shows that he starred in, he has made a strong mark that couldn’t be dimmed. Being an actor, he has entertained us but we can’t deny the fact that he has also chosen to give us something beyond entertainment. Although his off-screen life has been a story of industriousness, persistence, success, and giving back to the community; his reel life has also taught us several real-life lessons.
1. Kai Po Che (2013)
Life Lesson: Be the mentor and guide, whenever and to whoever you can
Among several thought-provoking messages of this movie, the importance of having a cricket coach, mentor, teacher, and guide is presented as a vital element. Amidst the communal riots of Gujarat, Sushant’s Ishaan provides cricket training to Ali, a young boy from a different community.
His risk-taking appetite kept him going as he helped Ali to ace his game with perfection. Fast forward 10 years. A grown-up Ali makes his Indian cricket team debut and walks to the cricket ground. He plays his first shot by hitting the ball to the boundary with a cover drive just like Ishaan had taught him. This was his tribute to his mentor, who took a bullet for him and sacrificed himself during a communal clash.
2. MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)
Life Lesson: Follow your passion, take risks, and learn from your mistakes to succeed
This biopic of Mahendra Singh Dhoni highlights his struggle, challenges as a small-town boy, his rise to success, and becoming one of the most loved cricketers of the country. Sushant played Maahi flawlessly and nailed it. He taught us to dream and follow them. If circumstances are tough, so are you.
While portraying the celebrated cricketer, Sushant garnered some acclaim for his attributes. He excellently aced Maahi’s signature helicopter shots as well. One of the attributes for which he was admired was the compliment from the veteran cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. He saw Sushant batting and asked: “Which team does he play for?” Do I need to say more? Such was Sushant’s dedication to his work that a distinguished cricketer found him to be an expert of the sport!
3. Kedarnath (2018)
Life Lesson: Be selfless, live for others
Etched in my most loved memories of Sushant’s works, Kedarnath is not a movie – it is an emotion. The selfless and thoughtful Mansoor (played by Sushant) lives for the happiness of others and cares for his town. Even though he is a porter, money is not a priority for him, his customers and their happiness are.
When the shy and simple Mansoor falls in love with the rebellious Mukku (Sarah Ali Khan), he loves her dedicatedly above and beyond cast and religion. Despite being brutally beaten for her, he chooses to go after searching her amidst the menacing flood of Kedarnath. He immortalized humanity, even in his last moments, keeping others above him.
4. Chhichhore (2019)
Life Lesson: Embrace failures, never give up
Simple yet impactful, the movie highlights the importance of team spirit, problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, and true friendship among other aspects. The movie showcases that collectively, all these are foundations of success but failures come in tow. It beautifully communicated how a group of self-acknowledged ‘losers’ embrace the challenges and achieved great things in life.
Through the movie, Anirudh (Sushant) teaches to embrace failures and keep trying. Eventually, we get our share of success and happiness. The climax gives the message of reaching out to people when times are tough, we feel low, and keeping up with the warrior spirit.
5. Dil Bechara (2020)
Life Lesson: Live life kingsize
Released after his tragic demise, Dil Bechara is a saga of lively Manny (Sushant). He taught us that even if your life is short, live it to the fullest as we cannot choose our death or birth. Manny inspired us to be kind, empathetic, and love selflessly as everyone is fighting their battles.
Sushant’s real-life goals are also reflected in the movie as just like him, Manny also lives in the moment. Also, despite fighting their battles, both Sushant and his Manny continued to chase their dreams. As both in reel and real, this was his last movie; the end leaves your eyes welled up. This was another masterstroke by Sushant where he perfectly blended himself into the character while giving us some serious life lessons and goals.
How amazing it is to have such deep life lessons in most of his movies! What more can be said about him as he has left the legacy of stories behind that inspire us, give us strength in tough times, make us keep going, and motivate us to be better human beings.
I would like to remember Sushant Singh Rajput – an intellectual, a genius, a dreamer, a fighter, and a person who was not just concerned about his dreams but also about others.
Have a glimpse of his genius aptitude here –
Source: YouTube
In his words – “I am not lost. I am very much alive.”
Truly, he is not lost. He is very much alive and will always be.
He truly “is” a gift who continues to live among us through his works, the lessons he taught us, the inspiration he infused, and making a mark at the young age of 34.
Said that souls never die, I would say, Sushant, wish we could see more of your insightful works, more of your entertaining aspect, more of your talent, and moreover – more of you.
You are missed in all the heavy hearts, you always will be…
