Television industry pays a glowing tribute to VJ Chithu

On Wednesday, television buffs woke up to the shocking news of the demise of actress Chitra. VJ Chithu, as she’s popularly known, was found dead at a hotel room in Nazrathpet, where she was reportedly put up for a shoot. According to several reports, the last person to have spoken with Chitra before the alleged suicide was her fiancé Hemanth, to whom she got engaged in August.Their wedding was planned to be held on February 10, 2021.
Chithu, who is best remembered as Mullai from Pandian Stores, has been a household name in the television industry for almost seven years now. Having started as an anchor with shows like Sattam Solvathu Enna?, she also participated in several dance reality shows and took up prominent roles in serials. Some of the shows she has been part of include Chinna Papa Periya Papa Season 3 and Saravanan Meenatchi Season 3. A talented singer and dancer, Chithu also learnt silambam for the show Velunachi, in which she played the titular role. Her friends and colleagues share with us their memories of the actress…
‘I still cannot believe that someone like Chitra could choose something so harsh for herself’
My first professional association with Chithu was when she’d hosted a wedding event in Chennai. Her energy was infectious, and it stayed the same till the last corporate gig she hosted two weeks ago. She was a charming girl. I still cherish the time we spent in Tokyo last year, when we had gone for a Tamil New Year show. She won the audiences’ hearts by being a beautiful host. I still cannot believe someone like Chitra could choose something so harsh for herself. I wish I had been there for her… I wish I had known she was going through something. She was one of my beautiful colleagues from the industry.
- Soundarya Bala Nandakumar,
singer and actress
‘Chithu was multi-talented, and stood out in whatever
she did’
Chithu and I got close during the time we shot for Jodi Unlimited. She was such a strong girl, and we had all heard about her inspirational story, about how she worked really hard for her family. We did some fun things during the shoot, like dancing backstage and cracking jokes. Chithu had worked in the industry for many years and she never gave up. It is hard to believe that she died by suicide. She was an inspiration for many. Chithu was multi-talented and always stood out in whatever she did. Be it acting, anchoring or singing, she was good at everything. She was such a good friend, a kind-hearted person and was always smiling. I met her at a show last. It is saddening to hear about her loss.
- Yashika Aannand, actress
‘Chithu spoke to me about her plans for the future hours before her demise’
I’ve known Chithu for almost two years now. Artistes from a private channel, including the two of us, went for a show to South Africa. That was the time Pandian Stores went on air, too. She came across as a sweet person and we shared a room in South Africa. Even though we had met for the first time, we connected instantly. Since then, she used to call me often for suggestions regarding her career move, but never spoke about her personal life. Whenever I asked her if everything was OK, she would simply flash her trademark smile. She called me ‘Pattu’, and even changed her name on my phone to ‘Chithu Pattu’. We also went for a show in Malaysia last year, and again, we stayed together and had a lot of fun.
I met her after a long gap on Tuesday for a TV show. I had asked her if she needed a pick-up and she told me that she was staying at a hotel nearby. We sang songs, danced and had so much fun during the shoot. She was talking about taking several pictures and videos as our fans love it when we share pictures together. I took one video and shared it on my Instagram. I didn’t know that video would be Chithu’s last visual.
She loved sharing pictures and videos on her Instagram Stories. During the shoot, she was always on the phone. In fact, my shoot got over by 4pm. But she made me stay for another hour as she had some other shoots the following evening. She was talking about her wedding plans, about her new house and throwing a bachelorette party. She spoke of her plans for the future! And the next morning, I got this news. She had financial commitments, but she was always raring to go and never let anything deter her spirit. She was a hardworking girl and had so much hope for life. We need to speak more often about mental health. Just because someone is smiling or seems bold, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have problems. I wish she had spoken about her issues to someone.
- Sharanya Turadi, actress
‘Chithu personified joy and positivity’
If anybody met Chithu, they would have thought she was the happiest girl on the planet. She always personified joy, cheerfulness and positivity. Even when we did shows together, she would always make sure whoever was around her was comfortable and happy. And if someone needed anything, she would go out of her way to help them. She always shared her joy with the entire world. I wish she had also shared whatever was bothering her with at least one person. That person could have helped her. This seems impossible. I am still not able to accept it. I’m waiting for someone to say it was one big misunderstanding and that she is hale and healthy. It is going to take a lot of time to process what’s going on because she is not even the last person who I’d imagine would do this.
- Nakshathra Nagesh, host and actress
‘Chithu would have made it big in the film industry’
This news has left me shocked and speechless. I can still recollect my shooting days with Chithu; it was for my short film Acid. She was a multi-talented performer, was very easy to work with, and was well-known for her command in Tamil and her anchoring skills. She came a long way, from being a small-time anchor to becoming the most desired names in the television industry. She was a positive and happy soul, who had just started doing films in spite of her tight television schedule. I am sure she would have made it big in the film industry, too, but now, she’s gone too soon.
- Lokesh Kumar, filmmaker
If someone shows that they are feeling distressed, help will be available for them, says Psychiatrist
Chithu’s death, suspected to be suicide, has once again shone the focus light on the importance of mental and emotional wellbeing. Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, psychiatrist, founder of Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre and WHO consultant, says, “There is no single reason why a person dies by suicide. It is often a multiplication of a variety of events and the final decision may be an impulsive one, made on the spur of the moment. Various proximal and distal factors and triggers could be reasons. Biological factors, like a certain gene, could also be a reason. Or, it could be a psychological factor, where a person has only black or white thinking; they see only love and hate, and nothing in-between. Environmental factors, like finances and relationships, are also there. So, we say that for a suicide to happen, a lot of things have to go wrong.” Dr Lakshmi, however, adds, “Having said that, there are three characteristics of suicide and identifying those helps us prevent the. One, if support can be given at the moment of impulse, it can be prevented. Two, if you talk to people who’re suicidal, the majority of them are not sure if they want to die. The wish to live and the wish to die is like a see-saw battle for them. The third thing is that the sizable number of people who have such thoughts would have given cues. So, there are many layers to it. We see many youngsters maintaining a happy image on social media. But the fact is that the so-called feel-good posts by others actually make a person who is already depressed feel that he/she could only be the person not having fun. And then, to counter that, they try to portray something very good when they are feeling terrible inside. At least, if someone shows that they are feeling distressed, help will be available.”