Kabir Bedi on son Siddharth Bedi's suicide: 'Tried my best to battle this, but lost' | Bollywood - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Kabir Bedi on son Siddharth Bedi's suicide: 'Tried my best to battle this, but lost'

Apr 13, 2021 07:31 PM IST

Kabir Bedi has said that the 'guilt' of dealing with the suicide of his son Siddharth is 'enormous'. In an interview, he spoke about Siddharth, who died in 1997 after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Actor Kabir Bedi has spoken about the death of his son, Siddharth, who took his own life in 1997, at the age of 25, after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. He said that 'the wound heals, but the scars will always remain'.

Actor Kabir Bedi talks about his son Siddharth's suicide.(Keshav Singh/HT Photo)
Actor Kabir Bedi talks about his son Siddharth's suicide.(Keshav Singh/HT Photo)

In an interview, ahead of the launch of his autobiography, Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Journey of an Actor, he said that it is important in situations such as Siddharth's for the family to stand by the one suffering from mental illness.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

He told Bollywood Hungama, "Siddharth was a very brilliant young man... He was exceptional in his abilities, and then suddenly, one day, he couldn't think. We tried so hard to first figure out what was wrong, and for three years, we battled these unknown ghosts, and eventually he had this extremely violent breakout in the streets of Montreal, and it took eight policemen to nail him down. And then, the doctors in Montreal finally diagnosed him as schizophrenic."

The family tried to 'battle' Siddharth's illness, but 'in the end', Kabir said, 'I lost, he chose to go.' He said that in his book, he wanted to capture what it is like for families that go through something like this, 'because the person they are seeing is not the person they knew'. He said that regardless of how hard he tried, the 'guilt is enormous'.

Also read: Parveen Babi's 'mental problems' could have begun in childhood, says Kabir Bedi: 'She used to see spirits'

Kabir's daughter, Pooja Bedi, had also written about her brother in a blog post on her website: "I miss my brother Siddharth deeply. We were inseparable as kids. Same school, same friends, same room. We travelled together, fought, laughed and loved each other madly. His being diagnosed with schizophrenia and his suicide in 1997 left my life changed forever. He was a, sensitive, caring, gentle and witty person. He was amazingly bright too, and had graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with Honours. The void of his death and subsequently my mother’s death in 1998 is something I can never fill."

If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On