Actor Shekhar Suman, presently appearing in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, recently opened up about a deeply sorrowful period in his life where he faced the tragic loss of his elder son Aayush, who passed away at the age of 11 due to a rare illness. Shekhar shared the heartbreaking moment when, despite his son’s critical condition, a director requested his presence for a shoot. He recounted how his son desperately clung to him, begging him not to leave. Following Aayush’s passing, Shekhar spoke of losing his faith and choosing to remove all religious idols from his home.

In an interview with Connect FM Canada, Shekhar recollected holding Aayush and hoping for a miracle, admitting that miracles didn’t transpire. He recalled a distressing instance when a director asked him to shoot while Aayush was extremely unwell. Despite initially refusing due to his son’s condition, he eventually agreed at the director’s insistence. Shekhar recounted the poignant moment when Aayush implored him not to go, a memory etched in his mind forever.

Shekhar Suman recalled, “But miracles don’t happen. One day it was raining heavily and Aayush was very ill. The director, knowing my child’s serious condition, requested me to come for a shoot for two-three hours, and I said, I can’t. He said, ‘Please it will be a big loss for me’, and I agreed. When I was about to leave, Aayush held my hand and said, ‘Papa, don’t go today, please’. I let go of his hand and promised him I’ll be back in a jiffy. That was that moment I can never forget.”

After Aayush’s demise, Shekhar’s faith was shaken, leading him to close the temple in his house and discard all idols as a symbolic gesture of his pain and loss. He confessed that Aayush’s suffering was so unbearable that his wife prayed for his release. Shekhar emphasized that he continues to grapple with the grief of losing Aayush, reminiscing about him each day, “All the idols were taken away and thrown outside. The temple was closed. I said that I will never go to the God who gave me so much pain, hurt me so much, took the life of a beautiful, innocent child,” he added.

Shekhar had previously shared the challenging period following the 1989 diagnosis of his son’s terminal illness. Despite the initial bleak prognosis of eight months, Aayush defied the odds and lived for four years. Shekhar’s efforts to seek treatment, including a trip to London and consultations with renowned doctors, proved futile as Aayush’s health deteriorated.

Currently featuring in the Netflix series Heeramandi alongside his other son, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman is known for his films like Utsav, Rehguzar, Anubhav,

Tridev, Heartless, Bhoomi to name a few.