Sushant Singh Rajput suicide: Bollywood actor’s death reveals dark side of obsessive fans – copycat deaths, harassment, mob mentality
- At least three fans have committed suicide since Sushant Singh Rajput died, while a rumoured former girlfriend has received death and rape threats
- Parallels can be seen with the deaths of Robin Williams and Leslie Cheung, while South Korea, like India, has worrying levels of fan obsession
The untimely death of popular Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14 has stirred up volatile emotions among Bollywood fans, who are split between grief and anger. It is a dangerous mix in a country that, like so much of the rest of the world, is locked down in a joyless battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
The 34-year-old had appeared in a dozen Hindi films, with his last, Dil Bechara (The Helpless Heart), released posthumously last week on a digital platform.
The suicides are sadly not surprising, says Professor Paul Yip, director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong.
“When it comes to the death of a celebrity, our research has shown that there’s always been a copycat effect in the aftermath. We have done some studies, especially in South Korea – which is also a country that’s obsessed with movie stars and people following them – where we’ve seen this unfortunate trickle-down pattern,” Yip says.