#SushantDay! Mahi to Manny: 5 best onscreen performances by Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput was one of the few actors who have made a successful transition from TV to films. The actor had carved his own niche in Bollywood and was doing noteworthy work before his sudden demise last year. On his birth anniversary today, we take a look at some of his best onscreen performances that will forever be etched in our memory...

Directed by Neeraj Pandey, the sports biopic saw Sushant Singh Rajput step into the shoes of former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. For the film, which chronicled the life of the cricketer both on field and off-field, the actor had spent months studying the athlete, practising his signature moves, and even his mannerisms to make the portrayal believable.

An official adaptation of John Green’s novel ‘The Fault In Our Stars’, the film narrated the tale of cancer patients Kizzie, played by Sanjana Sanghi, and Manny, played by Sushant, and how, despite their adversities they found love in the limited time they had together. Directed by Mukesh Chhabra, the film released post Sushant's sudden death and left the audience teary-eyed.

Helmed by Dibakar Banerjee, the 2015 film featured Sushant as the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi. The actor received praise for playing the character, which was earlier immortalised by several iconic actors, with finesse.

Sushant's debut Bollywood film 'Kai Po Che!', directed by Abhishek Kapoor, was based on Chetan Bhagat’s 2008 novel ‘The 3 Mistakes of My Life’. The story revolves around three friends, Ishaan (Sushant Singh Rajput), Omi (Amit Sadh) and Govind (Rajkummar Rao), who want to start their own sports shop and sports academy but find themselves grappling with communal hatred in the aftermath of an earthquake. Sushant, as Ishaan, was earnest and sincere.

In 'Chhichhore', Sushant surprised everyone with his transformation into a divorced middle-aged man living with his teenage son and also with the ease with which he switched back to playing a 19-year-old college boy. The actor was absolutely convincing when he played the father who prayed for his son's life and tried to bring him out of a coma, and also as the carefree college-goer.