The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021, has honoured late actor Sushant Singh Rajput with the Critic's Best Actor accolade in the award ceremony held on Saturday.
Sushant, who began his acting career in 2008 with the TV show ‘Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil’, became a household name when he grabbed the lead role in Zee TV's ‘Pavitra Rishta’ opposite Ankita Lokhande. Soon after, he left the television industry to test his coin in the Hindi film industry.
In 2013, he made his Bollywood debut with ‘Kai Po Che’, and with that, the actor bagged many roles to entertain his fans and audience with his performances.
The official Instagram account of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival announced the award and wrote, "Celebrating the dedication you've shown on the way to this achievement. Congratulations to Late @sushantsinghrajput for winning the Critic's Best Actor award at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2021. We miss you!"
The actor, who died in his apartment on June 14, was last seen in ‘Dil Bechara’ opposite Sanjana Sanghi. The film was a posthumous release, directed by Rajput's close friend Mukesh Chhabra. It was adapted from the famous novel ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ by John Green and also featured actor Saif Ali Khan in a special appearance.
The film was originally slated for May 8 theatre release but it was not possible due to the coronavirus crisis. It was later released on July 24, 2020, on Disney+ Hotstar and streamed for free to commemorate the last movie of Sushant.
An investigation by Mumbai Police had considered it an instance of suicide. The family of Sushant, including his father and sisters, had challenged the same and had documented an FIR in a Patna court against his former girlfriend and actor Rhea Chakraborty, and her brother Showik Chakraborty, for abetment to suicide and siphoning his assets.
Three central agencies - the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) - had examined the case from different angles. —The Times of India