Sushant Singh Rajput lived an extraordinary life - just like some of the characters he played in his hit Bollywood films.

But his fairy tale journey, from humble beginnings to stardom, ended on 14 June when he was found dead in his flat at the age of 34. The police in Mumbai, where he lived, said he took his own life.

The news devastated millions of his fans, who saw his success as their own.

Sushant grew up in Bihar, one of India's poorest states. He worked hard and was admitted to one of India's top engineering colleges - a sure way of securing a bright future for middle class families.

But his heart was set on acting. So he dropped out of college and went to Mumbai, a city that makes and breaks thousands of dreams every day.

He did small roles, took up odd jobs and worked in theatre for years until one of his TV shows became a hit. Success on the big screen followed soon.

His story fired the ambitions of young people in small towns - it's why many of his fans took his death as a personal loss.

And just as they were coming to terms with the news, unverified details about Sushant's career, financial status, relationships and even mental health started circulating on social media and in debates on news channels.

No-one has been spared by the voyeuristic coverage - his therapist, his former cook, his friends, his manager, his family, his colleagues have all been hounded for interviews and exclusives.

With police drip-feeding details to the media, the mystery around his death has only deepened.

Days after he died, some social media users claimed that he killed himself because a few powerful Bollywood families and directors had treated him unfairly.

They said he was an outsider who had no "godfather" in the industry, and that his rise was unacceptable to certain Bollywood dynasties. They pointed to recent reports of him being side-lined after he was promised roles in big-budget films.

The Mumbai police is still investigating what led to the actor's death. They have interviewed more than 50 people from the film industry to find out if there is enough evidence to file abetment of suicide charges. The officers are yet to file a final report.

The allegations led to a severe backlash on social media against some directors and producers. Karan Johar, who has launched the careers of the children of former film stars, was especially targeted.

He faced abuse and threats online, but did not respond to any of it. The police have not interviewed him.

A film critic, who does not want to be identified, says Sushant's death has definitely brought a harsh truth to the fore: Bollywood doesn't welcome people who don't have the right connections.

"But we don't know if professional rivalry pushed Sushant to the brink. We need to wait for the investigation to finish," he said.

While this debate raged, some channels turned their focus on Rhea Chakraborty, Sushant's actress girlfriend.

Sushant's father had filed a police complaint against Rhea in Bihar state, where he lives. He accused her of abetment of suicide and misappropriation of Sushant's money.

The media quickly jumped on this new twist in the case.

On social media, she has been called a "gold digger" who "took away Sushant's money".

Rhea has denied any wrongdoing and issued a desperate plea to Home Minister Amit Shah for a fair investigation into Sushant's death.

She has since been questioned by various investigative agencies.

TV news channels and websites seem to favour two theories about what led to Sushant's death.

Some of them believe he was pushed to the brink because of Rhea and the apathy of movie directors, while others insist that his death is suspicious.