Tamil-Telugu singer Kalpana Raghavendar was hospitalized in Hyderabad on Tuesday after being found unconscious, sparking concerns of a suicide attempt. On Wednesday, she regained consciousness and clarified that it was an accidental overdose of sleeping pills due to insomnia, and not a deliberate act.
She told police that differences cropped up with her daughter Daya Prasad on March 3 over her education as she wanted her daughter to study in Hyderabad, which did not go well with her. Police quoted Kalpana as saying that she arrived from Ernakulam on Tuesday (March 4) and despite all the efforts was unable to sleep. “I took eight tablets but was still unable to sleep. I took another 10 tablets and fell unconscious. I don’t know what happened after that,” she said.
According to police, Kalpana’s husband Prasad alerted colony welfare members after she did not answer his phone calls. The colony welfare members informed the police, who then rushed to the colony. They broke open the door and found her lying unconscious in the bedroom. She was shifted to a nearby hospital after that.
Earlier, Kalpana’s daughter too confirmed that it was not a suicide attempt. She told media persons at the hospital that her mother did not attempt suicide but she took a slight overdose of insomnia tablets because of stress. “Please do not manipulate any information. Our family is perfectly fine. My mom and dad are happy. I am happy. My mom is perfectly fine. She will be back in a few days,” Daya Prasad said.
Kalpana Raghavendra, a veteran of over 1,500 songs across South Indian cinema, is a beloved figure in the Telugu film industry. Daughter of famous playback singers TS Raghavendra and Sulochana, Kalpana is known for her soulful collaborations with legends including Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman. She has also ventured into reality TV, notably Bigg Boss Telugu Season 1, and worked as a dubbing artist and actress. The news of her suicide attempt has left fans and colleagues reeling, with many expressing concern and support online. She is known for winning the fifth season of popular music reality show ‘Star Singer’. She was also seen in the first season of Big Boss Telugu, hosted by Jr NTR.