What Sushant Singh Rajput Had Wanted

'I never want to play a character that sends out the wrong message.'
As Sushant Singh Rajput's Kedarnath turns six, we #throwback to his golden words.

Sushant Singh Rajput's character in Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath is so noble, it's tough not to like him.

The actor gives his all to his role, and then some more, leaving no room for his character Mansoor to be defined by his religious beliefs.

There are some moments of greatness peeking out of the storytelling, like the sequence where Mansoor tells Mukku (Sara Ali Khan) how his father once wrote a fan letter to Lata Mangeshkar, telling her how the Valley resonated with her voice when she sang. Mansoor then sings Lag Ja Gale for Mukku.

Time stands still. Sushant brings a certain magic to this moment.

At the end when Mukku sits to hear the radio, the same song is announced.

Sushant was excited about Kedarnath for many reasons.

It brought him back together with director Abhishek Kapoor with whom Sushant's cinematic journey started after Kai Po Che.

Thereafter, the two had a massive fall-out.

But Sushant and Abhishek Kapoor reconciled for Kedarnath, a Hindu-Muslim love story.

When Subhash K Jha brought up Sushant's differences with his Kedarnath director just before the film's release, he had laughed.

"Arrey, sir, jaane dijiye na. Chhoro kal ki baatein, kal ki baat purani. What is important is that Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) and I are back together. Kedarnath will be a turning point for both of us. It is about God and the oneness of humanity. Gattu is a bhakt of Shiv, so am I."

"I play a pithoo in Kedarnath. I am a Muslim character but carry Hindu pilgrims on my back to the temple. Isn't this true secularism?" Sushant asked.

Is Kedarnath Sushant's most secular film?

"I don't know about most secular but I want my films to convey a message of universal brotherhood," he replied.

"We live in stressful times. Cinema should do the healing. Being an actor is a responsibility. I never want to play a character that sends out the wrong message.

"There is another reason why Kedarnath is very special to me: I get to sing Lataji's Lag Ja Gale. I know how much you worship Lataji. My mother was also a big fan of hers, especially this song. So this one is for you, Ma."