Akanksha Dubey, a Bhojpuri actress, was found dead in a hotel room in Varanasi where she was staying for the shooting of her upcoming film Nayak at Somendra Hotel in Sarnath. While the cause of her death is currently under investigation, preliminary evidence suggests it may be a suicide. Following the news of her passing, her fans and well-wishers have been flooding the internet with condolence messages since the morning.
The video of the 25-year-old actress crying uncontrollably during an Instagram live stream has gone viral on the internet.
The video, allegedly recorded hours before her death, shows Dubey crying and covering her face. In the early hours of March 26th, when Akanksha did not emerge from her hotel room, the door was forced open and her body was found. The Sarnath police are currently investigating the matter, and according to several media reports, her body is undergoing postmortem examination.
Akanksha, who made her debut with the film Meru Jung Mera Faisla, appeared in several Bhojpuri films such as Mujhse Shadi Karogi, Veeron Ke Veer, and Fighter King. She also had roles in 50-60 successful music albums and acted alongside popular stars like Khesari Lal Yadav, Pawan Singh, and Pradeep Pandey.
Just a few hours after her death, one of Akanksha’s last songs was released, which features her opposite Pawan Singh.
According to a report from AajTak, Akanksha took a professional break in 2018 after experiencing depression. However, she made a comeback to the Bhojpuri industry just a few years later and once again became a popular figure. Following her return, Dubey reportedly credited her mother for helping her through that difficult period. Akanksha was born on October 21st, 1997 and came from Parsipur in the Bhadohi district.
A close associate of Akanksha revealed details of her death to ETimes, stating that it was her first day on the set of the new film ‘Nayak’ in Varanasi. While shooting alongside Aklesh Verma, her makeup artist went to her hotel room to call her at around 9 am but found her dead. Prior to her death, Akanksha had completed filming for the Bhojpuri film Mitti, directed by Chandan Upadhyay and starring Yash Kumar and Raksha Gupta.
According to an official from the Sarnath Police, “The preliminary investigation suggests that it could be a case of suicide. However, we need to await the post-mortem report to confirm the cause of death.”
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts or is suffering from any kind of mental illness/issues, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help. Here are a few helplines which may help:-
