Hyderabad: Telugu actor Uday Kiran, who started out as a heartthrob in 2000, allegedly committed suicide here, apparently after film offers dried up of late, pushing him into mental depression and financial crisis.
The 33-year-old, best known for his debut performance in 'Chitram', was found hanging from the ceiling at his flat in Srinagar colony here after midnight, police said on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) V. Satyanarayana told PTI that a case of suspicious death has been registered in connection with the actor's demise.
"He (Uday) was under depression for not getting films since last one year and was facing financial crisis. It seems he was to get a call from a Tamil film-maker yesterday," he said quoting the actor's wife and other family members.
Uday sent an 'I love you' SMS from his phone to his wife, who had gone for a birthday party Sunday night. When she called back after some time, the actor did not pick the phone.
Growing suspicious, she and her parents rushed to his house and found him hanging. Banjara Hills police were also analysing the actor's call data records, and took his laptop as part of investigation.
He shot into limelight with his maiden film, a teenage love story in 2000, and followed it up with back-to-back hits 'Nuvvu Nenu' and 'Manasantha Nuvve', earning him the title 'hat-trick' hero at the time.
The three films, all love stories, made him a household name in Andhra Pradesh and earned him the lover boy image in early 2000s.
He acted in about 20 films in a career spanning 13 years but box-office success that he tasted earlier eluded him.
Uday Kiran's career went on the down slide, and he soon found himself without good offers on hand, though he acted in couple of Tamil films, including 'Poi' by veteran director K Balachander.
The DCP said a thorough investigation was underway and they were probing all angles.
Telugu film industry reacted with shock and grief over the death of the actor, who became the youngest winner of the Filmfare best actor award in 2001 for 'Nuvvu Nenu" after Kamal Hasan.
