A Marathi film producer committed suicide in Pune by consuming poison at a city hotel on Sunday, a preliminary investigation has revealed.
Atul Tapkir, known for producing the film Dhol Taashe in 2015, posted a suicide note on Facebook before taking the fateful step.
In his graphic note, Mr. Tapkir accused his wife and her family of continued mental and physical harassment after his film flopped.
Detailing in detail his turbulent relationship with his wife, Mr. Tapkir said he received no support from her and was separated from his children.
“For six months, I’ve been driven away from my home and my wife has refused access to my children. I am now joining my (deceased) mother,” reads the suicide note, in which Tapkir credits his father and sisters for standing by him.
The note was posted on the wee hours of Sunday.
The film, which stars Abhijeet Khandkekar and Jitendra Josh and features an appearance by Bollywood starlet Hrishitaa Bhatt, is a rather superficial statement about the politicization of the traditional ‘Dhol Tasha’, a music-cum-cultural activity.
The film flopped after which Tapkir is believed to have incurred debts, which in turn may have put a severe strain on his marital life.
The deceased producer’s body was found at President Hotel in the morning. Tapkir had checked in to the hotel for the past two days.
The hotel staff summoned the police after he did not respond this morning. The police broke down the door to find Tapkir lying on the bed.
While preliminary investigation indicated that Tapkir had indeed committed suicide by consuming poison, his body has been sent for a post-mortem to Sassoon General Hospital.
The Deccan police are investigating the case.
