Sushant Singh Rajput’s Kedarnath ‘wasn’t acknowledged until’ his death, says Abhishek Kapoor

Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor has remembered late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, saying that his work in Kedarnath wasn’t ‘acknowledged until’ his death. In a new interview, Abhishek also said that Sushant’s film Sonchiriya and the actor got ‘a lot of love after his passing away’.

Kedarnath, released in 2018, was a romantic drama written and directed by Abhishek Kapoor. It featured Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in lead roles. Sonchiriya (2019) was co-written and directed by Abhishek Chaubey and starred Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey and Ashutosh Rana.

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Abhishek said, “Sonchiriya and Sushant did get a lot of love after his passing away. Maybe the media didn’t acknowledge him for his work. Like in Kedarnath and how there is something in that film and there is love, truth in it. But it was not acknowledged until he passed away, which suddenly jolted people out of their slumber and they all stood up to say that they love this guy. He was a special man, it’s a big loss that he is not around here.”

Reacting to Sushant being the first choice for Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Abhishek said, “No no, I have heard this rumour as well. But this is a guy from Punjab. The casting of the film began after his passing away. I had not even finished the script, normally I don’t cast in a film until it is written.”

Last month, as Kedarnath completed three years, Abhishek had shared a picture with Sushant and wrote a note on Instagram. “It still raises my hair to think of the sheer passion and the absolute devotion it took to make this saga see the light of day.. But the fruits of one’s labour taste the sweetest when you know you dropped every last shred of sweat to sow them in the first place.. Immensely grateful to the entire cast & crew for braving this endeavour to the T.”

He had added, “Amidst all the gratitude and love, I can’t help but be reminded of the grave loss of this extraordinary soul who remains etched to the legacy of this film. I can still feel Mansoor there in the sacred mountainscapes looking right back at me with his characteristic smile reflecting all the innocence & beauty in this world.”

Also Read | Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister posts New Year’s Day wish from his FB page; fans say their ‘heart skipped a beat’

Sushant was found dead in his Bandra apartment in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. He starred in several films including Kai Po Che, Shuddh Desi Romance, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chhichhore, PK and Dil Bechara.