Kunal Kumar Singh was an Indian actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s after appearing in the coming-of-age romantic film 'Kadhalar Dhinam.' While the film garnered mixed reviews and performed moderately at the box office, Kunal's memorable sequences with lead actress Sonali Bendre were a hit among youths at the time.

Following the success of Kadhalar Dhinam, Kunal acted in several films that were flops and even shelved. Two of his films, which he co-starred with Bigg Boss Sherin Shringar, have yet to be released. Kunal resorted to film editing and production because he could not secure film roles. His last film, 'Nanbanin Kadhali,' was released in 2007.

On 7 February 2008, Kunal was discovered dead, hanging from the ceiling of his Mumbai residence, by actress Lavina Bhatia. According to the Times of India, he was working on the film 'Yogi' and had met with the team and actress a few hours before at his home.

In her police statement, Lavina said she went to the restroom for 10 minutes and returned to find him hanging from the ceiling. While Kunal's failing acting career was believed to be a contributing factor to his suicide, he wasn't doing so well on the home front either.

Kunal's wife Anuradha reportedly had a strained relationship with him due to her suspicions of his closeness with a co-star. She was believed to have gone to her parent's house in Ahmednagar with their kids at the time of his suicide.

Lavina was first singled out as a suspect but was later dismissed when it was found that there was no motivation. Also, Kunal was found to be capable of defending himself from assault due to his black belt in karate and his interest in water polo at the Army academy. Furthermore, Kunal allegedly attempted suicide by cutting his wrists a few months prior.

Even after the police closed Kunal's case as a suicide, his father Rajendra Singh, suspected differently; he claimed that the corpse had strange bruises. Kunal Singh's suicide, like so many others in the film business, remains a mystery till today.

Source: Wikipedia & Times of India
Photo Credit: Behind Talkies