Actor Asif Basra was found dead at a private complex in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday, ANI reported. The report mentioned that the police found him hanging when they reached the spot.
He was 53.
“Forensic team is at the spot and police is investigating the matter,” SSP Kangra Vimukt Ranjan told ANI. Talking to indianexpress.com the SP said: “Asif Basra committed suicide today (Thursday) morning. The body has gone for post-mortem. It will be done tomorrow (Friday). There is no suicide note.”
According to PTI, the actor had leased the property for the past five-six years in McLeodganj, Upper Dharamshala, and would visit the place regularly.
Basra had made a mark in Hindi cinema, with films like Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Jab We Met, and Kai Po Che. His performance in Rahul Dholakia’s National Award-winning film Parzania received critical acclaim. He has also starred in Tamil film Anjaan in 2014.
Most recently, he was seen in Anushka Sharma‘s web series Paatal Lok and Hotstar original Hostages.
He has appeared in several English-language international productions, like 2006 film Outsourced (United States), Tandoori Love (Switzerland/Germany), and One Night with the King (United States) with Omar Sharif and Peter O’Toole.
Reacting to the news, filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote on Twitter, “Can’t be true”.
Manoj Bajpayee tweeted: “What? This is too shocking!! Shot with him just before Lockdown!!! Oh My God!!!”
Asif Basra! Can’t be true… This is just very, very sad.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) November 12, 2020
What? This is too shocking!! Shot with him just before Lockdown!!! Oh My God!!! https://t.co/alfYTGxChH
— manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) November 12, 2020
Born in the small town of Amravati in Maharashtra in 1967, Basra realised his love for acting when he first ventured onto the stage as a teenager to participate in a school theatre production. In 1991, he got his first break in the Mumbai theatre circuit. According to his website, in 1991, he went to see Salim Ghouse’s production of Athol Fugard’s play Boesman and Lena every night for a week. Ghouse, well-known in the English theatre circuit, was intrigued and asked to meet him, which eased his entry into the Mumbai theatre scene.
His website mentioned that the actor had several other passions, apart from film and theatre.
“When he’s not working, Asif indulges in another of his passions, taking off on his Royal Enfield Bullet for biking adventures across India,” the website said.
