Bollywood actress Jiah Khan commits suicide: police

Published June 4, 2013
Jiah Khan.—File Photo.
Jiah Khan.—File Photo.

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, who made her debut starring opposite acting legend Amitabh Bachchan, died in an apparent suicide at her home in the Indian city of Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Khan, who grew up in London before moving to India for a career in Bollywood, was found dead in her home by her family, an officer said.

Police were interviewing her neighbours, the officer said, adding that no suicide note was found.

“We suspect she hung herself at her home” late on Monday, a police official told AFP, saying that her body has been sent for a post mortem.

Khan, who was born in New York before moving to London and then Mumbai, made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with the controversial film “Nishabd” (No words), playing the role of a teenager in love with her best friend's much older father, played by Bachchan.

The movie received average reviews because of its provocative storyline but Khan was praised for her bold acting.

Khan, who changed her name from Nafisa Khan, went on to star alongside actor Aamir Khan in “Ghajini”, a box-office hit.

India's film industry reacted with shock and sadness to the news, with actress Sonam Kapoor, a contemporary, tweeting: “Rip Jiah khan. Terrible tragedy.. Very very shocking and disturbing news.” ”Nobody should be in so much pain and a state of such hopelessness. I hope her soul finds some respite in death."

Bachchan, when contacted by AFP on Tuesday, only said: “Shocked and disturbed.”

Actress Bipasha Basu tweeted: “#Rip Jiah Khan! God bless her soul!

”Khan's latest film “Housefull” was a comedy released in 2010, which also starred Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...