The Malayalam television industry was shaken by the tragic death of yet another of its actresses on Tuesday, the third in two months. Dr Priya, a familiar figure for television soap opera fans in Kerala, died from cardiac arrest while on a regular check-up at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The 35-year-old actress was eight months pregnant.
Her newborn child is admitted to the ICU of the same hospital and is on ventilator support, more information on the health of the baby is awaited.
Dr Priya, who apparently had no health issues, had undergone a regular pregnancy check-up minutes before she collapsed and passed away. This is the third sudden and untimely death of a Malayalam serial actress in the last two months. The two previous cases were both of suicide and had raised concerns about the mental health well-being of actresses in the serial industry.
The news of Priya’s death was broken by Kishor Satya, a popular serial actor, on social media, who was visibly distraught after meeting his colleague’s family.
“Why did God show this cruelty to those innocent devotees? The mind keeps repeating these questions,” he said on social media. He pointed out that the industry had barely recovered from the death of Renjusha Menon two days ago.
On Monday, cine-serial actress and TV anchor Renjusha Menon was found dead at her apartment in Sreekaryam, Thiruvananthapuram. Initial reports from the police confirm it as a suicide. She was the same age as that of Dr. Priya. Reports say the actress was going through serious financial problems.
Dr. Priya shot to fame with her exceptional performance in Karuthamuthu, the second longest-running television soap opera on Malayalam television. She was cast opposite Kishore Satya in the serial that went on for five years and consisted of 1,450 episodes and four seasons.
Apart from being a popular and talented actress Dr. Priya was also a doctor by profession. She was practising at the PRS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram while pursuing her MD.
Two months ago, another serial actress, Aparna Nair was found dead in her apartment at Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram. Police confirmed that the actress hanged herself. Media reports and a statement from the kin said the 31-year-old was subjected to mental torture by her husband. Investigation in the case is progressing.
All three deaths have happened in the same vicinity in a short period of time. This has raised concern among soap opera fans in Kerala about the struggles – both mental and physical – that their favourite actors go through.
(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu Health Department’s helpline 104 and Sneha suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)