While the mystery of what led television actress Pratyusha Banerjee to commit suicide is still being solved, many actors in the industry and people in general have been concerned about one more thing. The ongoing stress in the life of television actors! Many have expressed grief about nothing being done to help actors cope with the pressures of the industry.
In the wake of these recurrent feelings among artists, the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) has decided to arrange for counselling sessions for actors. “Starting from April 17, we will have seven counselling sessions with all the actors. We really want to know the root cause of suicide and eradicate it,” Amit Behl, Chairperson Dispute Committee, CINTAA, told IANS.
While the body understands that it is ultimately up to an individual as to how he deals with crisis, it feels the need to at least create awareness about the what to be prepared for in the television industry. “Of course, it doesn’t guarantee anything, but we all will sit as family members and discuss our own highs and lows,” Behl added.
Behl concluded saying, “Pratyusha was such a young girl and my concern is that as an actor, they need to understand that highs and lows are a part of this industry. So, we have collectively taken this decision and have come forward to speak about it.”
Pratyusha, who was popularly known for her role as Anandi in the show Balika Vadhu, hanged herself on the evening of April 1 at her residence in Goregaon, Mumbai. She was taken to the Kokilaben Hospital in Andheri by her boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh with the help of neighbours, but was declared dead.
