It was Sunday, June the 14th, 2020. The nation-wide lockdown, imposed because of the Corona Virus outbreak, was at its peak. While the back-to-back lockdowns had made Sundays lose some of their relevance, this particular Sunday will forever be etched in the memories of millions of Bollywood fans across the Country - a reason none of us would want to remember a Sunday for. Sushant Singh Rajput, one of the most talented actors the industry has ever produced, died, reportedly due to suicide. Of course, what has transpired over the last fortnight because of an investigation carried out by Republic TV driven by Arnab Goswamy, has given rise to a numerous theories that suggest a foul play. While we, the common people, are in no position to comment since we have no access to and for obvious reasons aren't privy to all inside information, we must simply reserve our judgments and opinions till the Case meets its official conclusion, which we believe will be taken care of by a Court of Law working in tandem with relevant authorities. As circumspect and chary as we are, about passing any statement that could be even remotely irresponsible, we can't help but write about how the fashion industry in Tier 2 and 3 Cities will be impacted by the sudden demise of someone of SSR's caliber.
When you talk about SSR, you generally think about a handsome hunk whose metamorphosis from Television to the Big Screen was as seamless and smooth as that of a hot knife through butter. It was one of the very, very rare instances where a TV Star made it big on the Big Screen, almost instantly, and also made it look like a cakewalk, when in reality, it can be one of the most challenging paths for a mortal to tread on. From portraying a handsome young man in Pavitra Rishta to one of the three brash, rebellious boys in Kai Po Che, SSR's journey was one that millions of teenagers around the Nation connected with, almost instantly. The idea of a brilliant Engineering student making it big first on Television and then on the Big Screen was always going to be appealing. The youth, therefore, always had a special connect with SSR. His glowing presence, later, reached a crescendo with the astute portrayal of MS Dhoni, the superstar former Indian Cricket Team Captain, on the Big Screen.
After becoming a successful Big Screen Star, Sushant quickly carved a niche in the fashion industry as well, becoming one of the Fashion icons who a lot of local upcoming Fashion Brands looked upto, for inspiration. We, at Royaleway, would be lying if we said we never drew inspiration from personalities like SSR. Let us take this opportunity to mention that many, many of our designs - while being original and unique in their own ways, thanks to our Design and Research And Development Teams - in one way or the other, draw inspiration from personalities like SSR, who, knowingly or unknowingly, have left an indelible mark on the Fashion industry. The inroads that they have created easily sync with the indefatigable appetite we have, for bringing out modern, fresh and trend-setting designs, season after season. Our relentless quest to innovate with designs is often fuelled by how personalities like SSR carry themselves, which is precisely why an event as unfortunate as SSR's death, while sending shockwaves among fans in general, also dents the plans of many, many Indian Fashion Brands like us.
Sushant Singh's death will always be remembered as none of the most saddening events of the decade, not just because of the circumstances and controversies surrounding it, but also because of the sheer untimely-ness of the occurrence. For millions of fans, a glowing superstar was literally taken away, overnight, within a fraction, and for budding brands like us, a lifetime of inspiration has been snipped off. Will we miss the charming man with a gleaming smile? Yes, we will. Will we miss watching him walk the ramp in one of the many, many upcoming Fashion Shows? Surely yes. Our thoughts and prayers are with the late actor's family and friends, who we sincerely believe deserve a proper closure, considering the quagmire and conundrum that now surround the case, uncertainty looming.
