Sushant suicide: Cops to record director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's statement

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who had offered films to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput but they could not work together apparently due to date issues, will be called by police this week to record statement in the latter's suicide case, a senior officer said on Thursday.

The police have so far recorded the statements of more than two dozen people in connection with the suicide case of Rajput (34), who was found hanging in his suburban Bandra apartment on June 14.

Bhansali will be called to record his statement this week in connection with the actor Rajputs suicide, said the police officer who is part of the probe.

The Bandra police, who are probing angle of potential professional rivalry in Rajputs suicide, are trying to understand reason behind his depression.

The police may ask Bhansali about the same as the actor was not able to work with him due to dates issue, the official said.

Both Bhansali and Rajput had admired each other's work and the ace director had offered him films four times, but their collaboration could not take off.

The police are also likely to call filmmaker Shekhar Kapur for recording his statement in the case. Both were to collaborate for film 'Paani', but the project was shelved.

After Rajput's suicide, Kapur had tweeted, "I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder.

"I wish I was around the last 6 months. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their Karma. Not yours.

The police have so far recorded statements of 28 people, including Rajput's family members, his close friends like actor Rhea Chakraborty, casting director Mukesh Chhabra, Yash Raj Films casting director Shanoo Sharma and actor Sanjana Sanghi, who was the actor's co-star in her debut film 'Dil Bechara'.

Rajput starred in films such as Shuddh Desi Romance, 'Raabta', 'Chhichhore', 'Kedarnath' and 'Sonchiriya'. But his most prominent role came as popular cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the biopic "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story".