Tamil TV actress and Pandian Stores regular V.J. Chitra was found dead in a hotel room in Chennai, India, on Wednesday morning.
She was 28-years-old.
Indian news sources are reporting that the police suspect she died from suicide. An officer told NDTV that they believe the actress took her own life over financial issues but hadn’t located a suicide note.
The police say Chitra checked into the hotel in Chennai’s Nazrathpet at around 1 am on Wednesday after completing a day’s filming. She was reportedly with her husband.
Approximately two and a half hours after they checked-in, the hotel manager telephoned the police, who began investigating the actress’s death.
Chitra achieved fame playing Mullai Kathiravan, aka Mulla, on Pandian Stores; she was one of the show’s main characters. The Chennai born actress had been acting since 2013.
She had posted to Instagram just hours before her death.
Tributes poured in for V. J. Chitra on social media
Fellow Indian actress Yashika Aannand wrote in the comments section of Chitra’s Instagram: “Miss u da ? RIP! Can’t digest! Gone too soon.”
And a fan wrote, “heard shocking news about [you]” and asked if it was true? And another wrote, “Praying it shouldn’t be true.” And yet another distressed fan wrote: “OMG, you are dead? Why is life is miserable! Can’t believe.”
On Twitter, more actors and fans sent tributes and registered their disbelief at Chitra’s untimely passing.
Fellow Chennai actress Aishwaya Rajeesh wrote about how shocked and saddened she was to hear the news. She referred to Chitra as “a very promising and gifted artist who has gone too soon!”
She added: “People must realize that suicide is not a solution to problems, and as a society, we need to emphasize this fact more strongly than ever before!”
Actress Khusba Sundar wrote that it was “a life full of energy is snuffed away too soon.” She said that she wished Chitra had reached out to somebody and that while she didn’t know her personally, she felt her pain.
Sundar finished her tweet by writing: “Hope you have found what you were looking for, peace. #Chitra #RIP.”
Fans of V.J. Chitra were shocked at manner of her death
Most fans online expressed their sorrow and shock at Chitra’s death.
One fan said that she had been her favorite actor on Pandian Stores and that they were really “shocked and hurting.”
Rest in peace, V. J. Chitra.
Many fans were left devastated when legendary Indian singer SP Balasubrahmanyam affectionately known as SPB, tragically died in September following complications after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
The world of acting is, of course, still mourning the death of Sean Connery, the iconic actor who became famous for playing secret agent James Bond passed away at the end of October.