PM Modi, political leaders condole and eulogize Sushant Singh Rajput

New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dubbed the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput earlier in the day as a "bright actor gone too soon" and said that his rise in the world of entertainment inspired many.

"Sushant Singh Rajput... a bright young actor gone too soon. He excelled on TV and in films. His rise in the world of entertainment inspired many and he leaves behind several memorable performances. Shocked by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and fans. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.

Rajput's body was found hanging at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on Sunday morning. Rajput, 34, hailed from Bihar and was educated in Patna and New Delhi, before shifting to Mumbai.

Many other leaders expressed grief  and laced their condolences with praise on Sushant's career which was short yet consisted of memorable films.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad and several other political leaders condoled the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who committed suicide on Sunday at his home in Mumbai.

Union minister and former television actor Irani took to Twitter and wrote, "I have no words, no understanding of why you left the way you did. From a bright young kid who came to Balaji to a star who made the nation swoon.. you had come a long way and had many more miles to go. You will be missed Sushant Singh Rajput gone too soon .."

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also tweeted, "The news of the death of young Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput is shocking. I was fond of his acting skills, talent and capabilities. His passing is painful and it is a great loss for the film fraternity. May God give his family and fans the strength to bear this grief."

Union Railway and Commerce Minister Goyal also condoled the death of the young actor saying we must prioritise our mental well being and never shy away from expressing ourselves to our loved ones.

"Saddened to know about the unfortunate demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. He was a young, multi-talented actor who graced the silver screen with his charisma. We must prioritise our mental well being and never shy away from expressing ourselves to our loved ones. Om Shanti," Goyal said in a tweet.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also condoled the actor's death saying he was from his city of Patna.

"Shocked to learn that super talented actor Sushant Singh Rajput is no more. He was from my city Patna. Remember meeting him in Rashtrapati Bhawan during oath taking ceremony last year. He had told me that his family lived in Rajiv Nagar, Patna. He had miles to go. He left too soon," Prasad said recalling his meeting at Rashtrapati Bhawan last year.

The reactions came after the actor's body was found at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on Sunday morning in an apparent suicide. Rajput, 34, hailed from Bihar and was educated in Patna and New Delhi, before shifting to Mumbai.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also condoled the death of the actor.

"Sad to hear about the sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. An exemplary actor who will be missed by all. Praying for strength to his family and friends in this difficult time," Amarinder Singh said in a tweet.

Uddhav Thackarey tweeted: "Shocked and saddened to hear about the sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. May God give strength to his family, fans and loved ones."

Chouhan took to Twitter and wrote, "No one comes to live forever. No one goes like you went. The news of untimely passing away of young actor Sushant Singh Rajput is extremely saddening. May God grant him place in its feet and give strength to the family to bear this pain. Tribute."

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh also condoled the death of the actor and said, "I am extremely disturbed with the news of passing away of Sushant Singh Rajput. My humble tribute. I pray to god to give strength to his family, co-stars of the film industry and all those associated with him to bear the pain."

"This is the most depressing and heartbreaking news about Sushant Singh Rajput. I have no words to even express the sadness I feel. I was a huge fan of his work. This is cruel cruel times. Condolences to his friends and family," tweeted Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also condoled the actor's death and said that his role of Indian cricketer M.S. Dhoni in his biopic will be remembered forever. "The sudden departure of popular actor Sushant Singh Rajput is extremely saddening and shocking for the Hindi film industry and their fans ... His role as 'Dhoni' will always be immortal," the former UP Chief Minister said in a tweet attaching a picture of his meeting with the actor.

He was known for his portrayals in TV serials like "Pavitra Rishta", films "Kai Po Chhe", "Shuddh Desi Romance", the biopic "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Kedarnath" and "Chhichore", among several others. Bollywood and social media reacted with shock and disbelief on hearing the news of Rajput's death.