Tunisha Sharma Was A Talented Young Woman Whom We Lost To Depression

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Mental Health Issues.

In a tragic loss of life, television actress Tunisha Sharma died by suicide on December 24 at the age of 20. Sharma was born on 4 January 2002 in Chandigarh to Vanita Sharma.

Tunisha was a child actor who began acting at 13 and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety in her initial years of work.

In 2016, she made her film debut in Fitoor and went on to work in shows like Sher-e-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Internet Wala Love, Ishq Subhan Allah, Hero- Gayab Mode On.

She had a very busy schedule up until 2022 where she was assigned the lead role in Sony’s show Ali Baba: Dastaan-E-Kabul and was starring opposite Sheezan Khan.

Following her suicide, Sheezan Khan who happened to be dating her aside from being her co-star, was accused for abetment of suicide based on a police complaint filed by Tunisha’s mother, Vanita Sharma.

Sheezan Khan and Tunisha Sharma had reportedly broken up 15 days before she committed suicide and had been heartbroken because of it.

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According to media reports, Sheezan had promised to Tunisha Sharma that he would marry her, but changed his mind upon the advice of his sisters.

Hospital couldn’t save her

A CCTV footage from the hospital showed Tunisha being rushed in by Sheezan Khan following the extreme step taken by her. Tunisha’s last rites and funeral were held yesterday in the presence of family and friends. Her mother, Vanita Sharma was inconsolable and fainted at the crematorium.

It is indeed disheartening to see such a talented young woman die due to mental health issues. While the signs are often there, amidst the glamour of stardom, they can often become hard to notice.

Mental health issues often are the root cause

Regardless, mental health issues do plague celebrities and take many lives too, if ignored. Aside from Tunisha Sharma, actors such as Pratyusha Banerjee, Sushant Singh Rajput, Preksha Mehta, Kushal Punjabi also died by suicide following a battle with their mental state.

As the audience, we should always be sensitive to mental health and be open to talking about it. Not only when it comes to celebrities but the people around us. Often the most obvious signs are hardest to see. Admitting that one is not okay and needs medical and psychological intervention is the first step.

For those feeling troubled, I suggest reaching out to a friend or family member.

You can also call 9152987821 to access the suicide helpline and go through http://www.aasra.info/helpline.html for state specific helplines from various mental health organisations.

Image source: Pintrest, edited on CanvaPro 

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