Bollywood’s elites and their fans came together yesterday under the most tragic circumstances with the news that ingenue Nafisa Khan had been found dead on June 3 in an apparent suicide.
Nafisa, who also went by the name Jiah Khan, was just 25. It is reported that she was found hanging by her sister and mother Ali Rivzi Khan, who was a famous film actress in the eighties. She was born in New York, then moved to London’s affluent Chelsea area, where she lived until she moved across to India at age 17 to pursue a career in film.
Her classically beautiful features and charisma caught the attention of leading directors, and she soon shot to fame portraying the lead role in ‘Nishabd’ in 2007, described as an Indian take on the Lolita (Penguin Hardback Classics)
Jiah was very depressed about her career and scared for her future.
In later years things had been quieter on the career front for Nafisa, and it was even rumoured that she was thinking of turning her skills to a career in interior design, having become disillusioned with acting. At the time of her death, it had been three years since she had last made a film, although there were claims that she had recently signed on to feature in an American production.
According to film maker Ram Gopal Varma, Jiah was growing increasingly anxious about the stalling of her career, and is quoted by the Mumbai Mirror as stating, “The last time I met her, Jiah told me that everyone around her makes her feel like a failure. Despite being highly appreciated in Nishabd and being a part of hugely successful Ghajini and Housefull, she had no work for the last three years. I don’t know the reason what led to this, but Jiah was very depressed about her career and scared for her future.”
Nafisa is thought to have been suffering from depression in the months leading up to her apparent suicide, and her last Tweet, explaining that she had been on a “sabbatical” to collect her thoughts, may be telling of the young starlet’s introspective state of mind.
PETA offered its condolence India first worked with Jiah in 2008, when she shot this breathtaking ad for them.
PETA said,”Even though Jiah was unwell on the day of the shoot, she insisted on going ahead and threw herself into getting the ad just right and never once complained about the lengthy amount of time she had to spend suspended in an uncomfortable harness tied up with string. She enthusiastically chatted with everyone on set, and it was obvious that Jiah was a fun-loving and free-spirited person who was deeply passionate about animal rights. ”
Her parents found a six-page hand-written note yesterday in her apartment where she has talks about her estranged relationship with her boyfriend Sooruj Pancholi.
