Big '4’ blamed for Uday Kiran suicide

Hyderabad: CLUES team officials said Uday Kiran used a rope tied to the hook on the ceiling and a stool in the private gymnasium set up in his three-bedroom flat. “The prominent ligature mark found on his neck and other details on the scene suggested suicide,” said an official.

Uday’s wife Vishitha, who was attending a birthday party, returned home with her parents after midnight and found the actor’s body. They rushed him to the Apollo Hospital at Jubilee Hills, where the doctors declared him dead.

Police officials, who seized the mobile phone, laptop and personal belongings of the actor, found that Uday had exchanged SMSes with Vishitha before he died. He had sent a message asking what was up with her. Vishitha, who was celebrating her friend’s birthday, had replied she would return home and that her phone’s charge was almost over.

“He sent her a message saying ‘I love you’. After a while, Vishitha went to her parents’ house and recharged her phone and called him. However, he did not respond,” said Banjara Hills ACP Ashok Kumar.

Vishitha and her parents rushed to the house but found it locked. Vishitha entered the flat with the second key and found him hanging, cops said. Sources said Uday had called a few friends and had indicated that he could not live anymore. Cops are verifying these facts.

The actors’ body, which was preserved at the Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills, till morning, was taken to OGH for post-mortem exam. Later it was taken to Nims and preserved there for his sister, who is out of station.

Sources said that cremation will take place on Tuesday. The body will be taken to the Film Chamber at 10 am and will later be cremated at ESI Erragadda Smashana Vatika.

Meanwhile, Arun Kumar, a High Court advocate, approached the State Human Right Commission seeking a probe into Uday Kiran’s death.  Kumar alleged that Uday was sidelined by the four big Tollywood camps, and action should be taken against them.

“After his engagement to Chiranjeevi’s daughter was called off, the four big camps — Chiranjeevi family, Daggubati family, NTR family and Dil Raju camp — kept him out of work using their powers. He was not allowed to grow in the industry. We demand a strong actions against these four camps,” said Kumar. However, SHRC officials advised him to approach police. Kumar said he would approach the city police commissioner on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, the members of AP Brahmin Seva Sangh alleged that Uday was discriminated against by prominent camps of Tollywood since he was a Brahmin.

Next: Counselling, a Tollywood taboo

Counselling, a Tollywood taboo

 
Hyderabad: In the wake of actor Uday Kiran’s alleged suicide, psychiatrists say that hardly anyone in Tollywood seeks help for anxiety, depression or other psychological stress.

It is not only taboo in the industry, but the fraternity is very closely knit, they say. There is always a fear that someone will know and this keeps most of them away. But those who do seek help do so in the guise of alcohol or substance abuse and it is during these interventions that the deep-seated problems come to the fore.

Psychiatrist Dr Praveen Kumar C. of Apollo Hospitals said, “Most of them come with some other problem and it is during investigations that the core issue slowly come to the fore. The problems begin during low times of their life and due to weak support systems, most of them collapse. The other problem faced by most of them is that they are good in only one line of work and hence do not acquire other  skills. Methods of diverting the mind or opting for other means of livelihood are very limited. Most of them end up caging themselves and this proves disastrous for them.”

The problem, state mental health experts, is that most of these people are always chasing a dream. Psychologist Dr Shobana Srivastava of Care Hospital said, “For actors, the exertion of emotion quotient is very high and their aspirations tend to always be towards higher goals. A downslide means disaster for them. Their environment does not support or empathise with them and this often ends up taking a toll.”

A very small number does make its way, but in a highly confidential environment. Most often the meetings are disguised or given a different name for fear of being identified or spotted. Dr P.K. Choudhary of Chetana Hospital said, “Some of them who have sought help have shown symptoms of Affective Bipolar Disorder where the phases of mania and depression are rampant. Their underlying disease comes to the fore because of their circumstances and it often tends to aggravate it.

The passion for their profession makes them blind towards other aspects of life and that tends to hit back very badly during the phases of failure.” Psychiatrists state that family members have an added responsibility during low times and they must always be alert as that is the best method to protect them from taking disastrous steps.