Kunal Singh
{{Short description|Indian actor (1977–2008)}}
{{redirect|Kunal (actor)|other uses|Kunal (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kunal
| image = Kunal Singh (Indian actor).jpg
| image_upright = 1.1
| caption =
| birth_name = Kunal Singh
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1976|09|29}}
| birth_place = Haryana, India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|02|07|1976|09|29|df=yes}}
| death_place = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| occupation = Actor
| organization = Balagiri (Film production company)
| years_active = 1999–2007
| website =
}}
Kunal Singh (29 September 1976 – 7 February 2008), known professionally as Kunal, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He is best known for his romantic role in Kathir's Kadhalar Dhinam (1999), which is his debut film.
Career
Kunal was born on 29 September 1976 in Haryana, India. He was introduced in Kathir's 1999 romantic Tamil film Kadhalar Dhinam, alongside Sonali Bendre, a popular Bollywood actress that time. Kunal played a young student who falls in love with Bendre's character over the internet. Due to Bendre's popularity in north India, the film was partially reshot and dubbed into Hindi as Dil Hi Dil Mein.
After the relative success of Kadhalar Dhinam, Kunal appeared in a series of successful Tamil films like Paarvai Ondre Pothume (2001) and Punnagai Desam (2002), the latter being his first multi-starrer film.
After co-starring with Manoj K. Bharathi in Varushamellam Vasantham (2002), Kunal then appeared in many flops like Pesadha Kannum Pesume, Enge Enadhu Kavithai and Unarchigal. Several of his later films were started and then shelved, like Nava's Nilavinilae opposite Vijayalakshmi, Kimu Kipi opposite Susan, and Rithik's Kadhalithal Anandam, which would have featured him alongside Livingston and Kausalya.{{cite web |url=http://chennaionline.com/entertainment/filmplus/tmaking.asp |title=New Tamil films in the making |website=chennaionline.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030731094320/http://chennaionline.com/entertainment/filmplus/tmaking.asp |archive-date=31 July 2003 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/13-02/sarath.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041118132825/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/cinenews/13-02/sarath.htm|archive-date=18 November 2004|title=Dinakaran}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/News/25-3-05/kunal_hero.htm|title=Behindwoods : Kunal is back|access-date=23 December 2020|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027160721/http://www.behindwoods.com/News/25-3-05/kunal_hero.htm|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/News/4-4-05/kunal_krishnamoorthy.htm|title=Kunal as Krishnamoorthy!|access-date=10 May 2022|archive-date=16 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316101613/http://www.behindwoods.com/News/4-4-05/kunal_krishnamoorthy.htm|url-status=live}} Moreover, two films which he had signed opposite actress Sherin Shringar, Jai Adithya's Kadhal Thiruda and Nanda's Thodu, were shot and unreleased.{{Cite web|url=http://www.behindwoods.com/News/30-3-05/kunal_sherin.htm|title=Behindwoods : Kadal thiruda with Gunal - Sherin|access-date=23 December 2020|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027160725/http://www.behindwoods.com/News/30-3-05/kunal_sherin.htm|url-status=live}}
When he was unable to find roles as an actor, he served as assistant editor for several films and turned to producing.{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_i-saw-actor-kunal-singh-hanging-says-friend_1149757 |title=I saw actor Kunal Singh hanging, says friend |author=Renni Abraham |date=8 February 2008 |work=Daily News & Analysis |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-date=26 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826054348/http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_i-saw-actor-kunal-singh-hanging-says-friend_1149757 |url-status=live }} Kunal's last Tamil film was Nanbanin Kadhali, which released in 2007.
Death
On 7 February 2008, Kunal was found hanging from the ceiling in his Mumbai apartment. The apparent suicide was challenged by his father Rajendra Singh who claimed that the body showed signs of suspicious bruising. Actress Lavina Bhatia was detained by police in connection with his death, but she was later released after the police could not prove a motive. The police were unable to prove that anyone was present in Kunal's apartment at the time of his death and ruled out Bhatia as a suspect;{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Court-orders-CBI-probe-into-actors-murder/articleshow/5349525.cms |title=Court orders CBI probe into actor's murder |date=18 December 2009 |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-date=19 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019155018/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-18/mumbai/28106055_1_court-orders-cbi-probe-kunal-singh-lavina-bhatia |work=The Times of India |url-status=live }} furthermore, Kunal had attempted suicide by slashing his wrists several months earlier. At the time of his death, Kunal was working on a Hindi film, Yogi, which was being produced by his newly formed production company Balagiri.{{cite web |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/plot-thickens-in-bollywood-murder-mystery/551315/0 |title=Plot thickens in Bollywood murder mystery |author=Jaidev Hemmady |date=8 December 2009 |work=Indian Express |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011162110/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/plot-thickens-in-bollywood-murder-mystery/551315/0 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/actor-found-dead-in-lokhandwala-flat/270518/ |title=Actor found dead in Lokhandwala flat |date=8 February 2008 |work=Indian Express |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009232006/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/actor-found-dead-in-lokhandwala-flat/270518/ |archive-date=9 October 2012 |url-status=dead }} The case was referred to CBI and Prof T D Dogra of All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He examined the scene of crime along with CBI and opined in favour of suicide.{{cite web |url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/157236795/ |title=Bombay High Court, Ms.Lovina Pankaj Bhatia vs Central Bureau Of Investigation on 12 August, 2011 |publisher=Bombay High Court |date=12 August 2011 |access-date=4 January 2014 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162339/https://indiankanoon.org/doc/157236795/ |url-status=live }}
Filmography
- All films are in Tamil, unless otherwise noted.
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Film !! Role !! class=unsortable|Notes | |||
| 1999 | Kadhalar Dhinam | rowspan="2" | Raja | |
| 2000 | Dil Hi Dil Mein | Hindi film; partially reshot version of Kadhalar Dhinam | |
| 2001 | Paarvai Ondre Pothume | Vinodh | |
| rowspan="5" | 2002 | Punnagai Desam | Raja | |
| Varushamellam Vasantham | Ramesh | ||
| Pesadha Kannum Pesume | Vikram | ||
| Enge Enadhu Kavithai | Babu | ||
| Arputham | Arvind | ||
| 2004 | Super Da | Rahul | |
| rowspan="5" | 2005 | Devathaiyai Kanden | Bala | |
| Pesuvoma | Elango | ||
| Thirudiya Idhayathai | rowspan="2" | Ganesh | ||
| Saadhuriyan | |||
| Sorry Enaku Kalyanamayidichu | Vijay | ||
| 2006 | Unarchigal | Lakshmi's husband | |
| rowspan="1" | 2007 | Nanbanin Kadhali | Surya |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0997284}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Kunal}}
Category:Indian male film actors
Category:Male actors from Haryana
Category:Male actors in Tamil cinema
Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema