Sidharth Shukla 'forcibly sent Rs 20000', reveals 'Balika Vadhu' co-star Pratyusha Banerjee's father

Late actor Sidharth Shukla's sudden death on Thursday at the age of 40 sent shockwaves throughout the industry. His family, former colleagues, and friends are still reeling from the inconsolable grief. For the unversed, Sidharth became a household name after he played the role of Shivraj Shekhar in 'Balika Vadhu' opposite Pratyusha Banerjee, who died in 2016 by suicide. 

After Sidharth's sudden death, Pratyusha's father Shankar Banerjee has now revealed how Sidharth had 'forcibly sent Rs 20,000' to him and his wife during the coronavirus lockdown and had enquired about their health. 

India Today quoted Shankar as saying in an interview with AajTak, "I can't understand how this happened. I considered him to be my son. During Balika Vadhu, Sidharth and Pratyusha had become close friends. He used to come home as well. After Pratyusha's death, many people talked about the relationship between Sidharth and my daughter, because of which Sidharth had stopped coming home. He often asked me in messages on WhatsApp." 

Pratyusha's father also revealed how Sidharth always used to enquire about their well-being especially during the lockdown. "During this lockdown, he used to constantly message me. I got his last message a couple of months ago. He used to ask in the message 'Uncle, aunty do you need help?', 'Are you guys fine?', 'Can I help in any way?' He had forcibly sent Rs 20,000," he said.

Sidharth, best known for his roles 'Balika Vadhu' and 'Dil Se Dil Tak', died in Mumbai after a massive heart attack on Thursday.