On Friday, Dangal actor, Suhani Bhatnagar, known for her portrayal of young Babita Phogat in the blockbuster film Dangal (2016) alongside Aamir Khan, passed away at the age of 19.
Table of Contents
On Saturday, after news of her death broke, the actress’s father Sumit Bhatnagar spoke to the Press Trust of India (PTI) about his daughter and he revealed that Suhani was suffering from dermatomyositis, a rare inflammatory disease characterized by skin rashes which also causes muscle weakness. The doctors informed that steroids were the only source of remedy for this disease. However, steroids affected her health severely, in turn resulting in a weakened immune system.
Cause of Suhani’s death
In the beginning, a red spot developed on her hands but her family thought it to be a kind of an allergy. Seeing her deteriorating condition, they consulted various hospitals but nothing could be diagnosed. Later on, when her condition further worsened, she was admitted to AIIMS. Soon, the doctors informed that she had contracted infection as her immunity became fragile. Moreover, her lungs were completely damaged due to accumulation of excess fluid, besides, she also encountered difficulty in breathing, Suhani’s father told reporters. She died on February 16 after battling severe complications.
Celebrities mourning over Dangal actor’s death
The actor’s last rites were performed in Delhi on Saturday. Aamir Khan’s production house expressed grief and sorrow over her death. They offered their heartfelt condolences to the entire family. Dangal’s Director, Nitesh Tiwari also lamented over Suhani’s death. He told that it came as a shock to him. Suhani was a lively soul. Zaira, Kiran Rao, Yami Gautam also expressed sympathy. Zaira Wasim shared her memories of the good times they both spent together. While speaking about co-star Suhani Bhatnagar, Zaira said, that the news was so disheartening that she was unable to believe it. “I wish this is a rumour I hope this was false.”
Suhani Bhatnagar’s Career
The Dangal actor , was born on 14th June 2004 in Faridabad, Haryana. She was currently pursuing graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication and wanted to work in films in the future. Suhani gained prominence following her role in Dangal, the 2016 biographical film depicting a wresters journey as a father mentors his daughters towards success.
Earlier, in several interviews Suhani revealed that after auditioning for the role her mother asked her how the audition went and she told that she gave her best. Her mother asked every time if they called back but there was no reply from the other end. But one day the call came and she got selected. Suhani was so surprised yet ecstatic on being casted for the role of young Babita Phogat in Dangal.
Pooja Bhatnagar on being proud of her daughter
With tears streaming down Pooja Bhatnagar’s face, she said that her daughter made her feel very proud. She added that they were recognised in public, only because of her daughter. She took pride in her as she was selected from among 25,000 candidates to play young Babita Phogat’s role. In an interview with Asian News International (ANI), Suhani’s mother, Pooja Bhatnagar reminisced about her daughter saying that she would be often identified as the mother of ‘Suhani’, affectionately known as the ‘Dangal Girl’.
Aamir Khan had invited Suhani in his daughter’s wedding
Pooja Bhatnagar said that Aamir Khan, had invited Suhani and their whole family, in Ira Khan’s wedding, but they were unable to make it due to Suhani’s degrading health. That time, she suffered from a fracture so they could not take the risk of travelling. She mentioned that they had a special and close bond with Aamir Khan and whenever they called him for some help, he always made sure to respond back.