Did This Actor Commit Suicide? Mahesh Anand Pleaded With Pahlaj Nihalani To Be Added On To Govinda Film

So jobless and  financially  desperate was  actor Mahesh Anand, found dead in his  Mumbaiapartment  on Saturday, that  he was willing  to  take on any acting offer that came his way.

Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani  was the last  to offer Mahesh Anand a role.

Nihalani clarifies, “I didn’t offer  him  Rangeela Raja. He  insisted on  being in  the film when  it was almost completed. I suddenly got a call from Mahesh. I had worked with him in some films in the past  like Aag Ka Gola and Andaz. I always  liked Mahesh.He was straightforward in his dealings,  friendly and courageous. In his heydays his  physique was the envy  of many   heroes. The  minute he would take  off his shirt for a fight some  heroes would get insecure.”

Is this  why Mahesh  stopped getting work?

“Perhaps. It is a fact that he was without work.He had stopped getting work for more than ten years. I  do not know  his financial condition. But it must have been distressful.Though married 2-3 times and  though he has a  son, Mahesh lived all alone . He had an impressive dog for  a companion whom he was  very proud of.  He  would take  the dog everywhere  with him . He treated the canine like  a tiger.  Mahesh was all macho and tough, muscled and sinewy  long before the  gym culture  hit the entertainment industry,” says  Nihalani.

Nihalani recalls Mahesh’s desperate  call for work. “He said he wanted to be part  of Rangeela Raja.I told  him only the climax  of  the  film remained to be shot.  He asked to be  fitted into the climax. I sensed  his need and I  made a role for him at that  last  moment of shooting. The  problem is, Mahesh didn’t look  for work hard enough. He  lived in his whole world. Here,  you have to be pushy when you need  work.”

Nihalani hints at a drinking  problem and  an illness. “He did like his  drinks  . But I don’t know  if he had  a drinking  problem. He also had a kidney  problem. But his  main problem was the  lack of work opportunities.”

Sushant Singh , General Secretary of the Cine  & TV Artistes Association(CINTAA) reveals that Mahesh Anand had suicidal tendencies. “Our Executive  Committee   member NupurAlankar talked him out of a suicidal bout last year, she was in touch with him  even after that. It’s a freelancer’s responsibility to be prepared for the day opportunities start drying up.I don’t think Mahesh Anand  ever approached anyone for financial help, he had become a recluse and it’s only now that we are discovering about various issues he was facing.”