Full Name Kunal Singh Name Kunal Singh Years active 1999–2007 Parents Rajendra Singh | Occupation Film actor Role Actor | |
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Born 29 September 1977 Haryana, India Died February 7, 2008, Oshiwara, Mumbai Spouse Anuradha Singh (m. ?–2008) Movies Kadhalar Dhinam, Dil Hi Dil Mein, Parvai Ondre Podhume, Punnagai Desam, Arputham Similar People Sonali Bendre, Kathir, Monal, A R Rahman, G Kicha | ||
Kunal Singh (Hindi: कुणाल; 29 September 1977 – 7 February 2008) was an Indian actor who appeared in Tamil films. He is best known for his role in Kadhalar Dhinam (1999). His death in 2008 from apparent suicide garnered significant media attention.
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Career
Kunal's first major role was in the 1999 box office success Kadhalar Dhinam alongside Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre, where he played a young student who falls in love over the Internet.
After the release of Kadhalar Dhinam, Kunal appeared in a series of box office failures like Pesadha Kannum Pesume (2002) and Nanbanin Kadhali (2007). His other three box office successes were Paarvai Ondre Podhume (2001), Punnagai Desam (2002) and Devathayai Kanden (2005), with the latter featuring Kunal in a supporting role alongside Dhanush and Sridevi Vijayakumar. When he was unable to find roles as an actor, he served as assistant editor for several films and turned to producing.
Death
On 7 February 2008, he was found hanging from a ceiling in his Mumbai apartment by actress Lavina Bhatia. The apparent suicide was challenged by his father Rajendra Singh who claimed the body showed signs of suspicious bruising. Bhatia was detained by police in connection with his death, but was later released after the police could not prove a motive. The police were unable to prove any other persons were present in Kunal's apartment at the time of his death and therefore ruled out Bhatia as a suspect as Kunal had a black belt in karate; furthermore, he had attempted suicide by slashing his wrists several months earlier. At the time of his death, Kunal was working on a film, Yogi, which was being produced by his newly formed production company Balagiri. The case was referred to CBI, Prof T D Dogra of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, examined the scene of crime along with CBI, he opined in favor of suicide.