Mumbai:
Bollywood actor
Jiah Khan has committed suicide, police in Mumbai said. The 25-year old actor reportedly hanged herself at her Juhu residence late Monday night. Her body has been sent to a Mumbai hospital for a post-mortem.
Police said Jiah's body was found by her mother at 11pm. No suicide note was found. Her domestic help, watchman and neighbours are being questioned to find out who her last visitors were, police said.
Jiah, real name Nafisa Khan, made her Bollywood debut in Ram Gopal Varma's
Nishabd in which she played a teenager in love with her best friend's father, played by Amitabh Bachchan. The film released in March 2007 and received mixed reviews for its provocative content but Jiah was noted for her confidence, attitude, and sex appeal. She was also nominated for the Filmfare Best Debut award.
She then appeared with Aamir Khan and Asin in in A R Murugadoss's
Ghajini (2008), the Hindi remake of the director's Tamil film of the same name. Jiah played the pivotal role of a medical student who investigates and then befriends a businessman with amnesia.
Her last film was Sajid Khan's
Housefull in 2010 with Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh and Lara Dutta. She had a two-film deal with UTV Motion Pictures and a three-film deal with
Ghajini producer Madhu Mantena.
On Twitter, colleagues reacted with shock and grief.
One of the first reactions was from her first co-star Amitabh Bachchan who tweeted: "T 1128 -WHAT ...!!! Jiah Khan ??? what has happened ? is this correct ? unbelievable !!!"
Director Ram Gopal Varma, who gave Jiah her first break in
Nishabd, tweeted tellingly: "The last time I met her jiah told me that everyone around her makes her feel like a failure."
Bipasha Basu tweeted: "#Rip Jiah Khan!God bless her soul!"
Shahid Kapoor, with who Jiah had been cast in
Chance Pe Dance before being replaced by Genelia D'Souza, tweeted: "Shocked n saddened to hear about jiah khan... Very disturbing... RIP... may her soul rest in peace."