Sushant Singh Rajput's Kai Po Che turns 8: Abhishek Kapoor remembers late actor

MUMBAI: As 'Kai Po Che' marked eight years of its release on Monday (February 22), filmmmaker Abhishek Kapoor said he was touched by the love the film recieved from all over. However, the noted filmmaker added that he is at the same time deeply pained by the loss of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Mourning the loss of Sushant, who was found dead at his Bandra's rented apartment in June 2020, the director called the 34-year-old actor a 'crown jewel'. Kapoor took to Twitter and posted the video of the hit 'Manjha' track from the film. "The thrill of starting this journey with a new team hungry to give their best at the dawn of their careers stands most vividly in mind. "One can't quantify the love our film continues to receive over the years, neither can we quantify the pain we feel at the loss of our crown jewel," the 49-year-old director wrote.

The thrill of starting this journey with a new team hungry 2 give their best at the dawn of their careers stands most vividly in mind..One cant quantify the love our film continues to receive over the years, neither can we quantify the pain we feel at the loss of our crown jewel pic.twitter.com/oTvhal9UOu — Abhishek Kapoor (@Abhishekapoor) February 22, 2021

Released on February 22, 2013, 'Kai Po Che!' marked Sushant's Bollywood debut after a successful career on TV with the hit show 'Pavitra Rishta'. The film, which went on to receive positive reviews from all corners, was also a stepping stone for actors Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh, who were relatively new in the industry. 

Set in Gujarat, 'Kai Po Che!' chronicles the story of three friends, who wants to start their sports shop. The film also revolves around the 2001 Gujarat earthquake , 2002 Godhra train burning and the 2002 Gujarat Riots. The film tracks their deep friendship, and innocence tarnished by religious politics and communal hatred. 

Based on author Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life', the film garnered acclaim for its performances by the three leads, Amit Trivedi's music and sensitive handling of the story by Kapoor. The film propelled Rajput to stardom, as he went on to feature in Yash Raj Films' 'Shuddh Desi Romance' (2013) and Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK' in 2014. Later, he headlined blockbusters like the 2016 biopic 'M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story', Nitesh Tiwari's 'Chhichhore' and reunited with Kapoor for romantic-drama 'Kedarnath' in 2018.

Meanwhile, Kapoor is gearing up for the release of his next directorial, 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui', featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor, in July.

(With PTI inputs)