Prathyusha

Prathyusha (29 August 1981 – 23 February 2002) was an Indian film actress who appeared in Telugu and Tamil language films.

Pratyusha was born in Bhongir, Telangana into a middle-class family. Her mother, Mrs. Sarojini Devi, is a government school teacher. Her brother Praneet Chandra (Krishna Chandra).

Pratyusha was schooled at Santosh Vidhya Niketan, Bhuvanagiri, Prakash Public School, Miryalaguda and later at St. Anns High School, Tarnaka, Hyderabad. Pratyusha completed her intermediate from Gouthami Residential Academy, S.R.Nagar and graduation in Bachelor of Hotel Management at Banjara Hills and JB Institute of Hotel Management.

Pratyusha participated in Television Star 2000 Contest and crowned as Ms. Lovely Smile. Her success in the contest paved a way into film world. She had signed for a Kannada film but before that she died.

Pratyusha's final release was the delayed 2004 Sathyaraj film Sound Party, for which she won good reviews.

Prathyusha died on 23 February 2002 after attempting suicide (said to be) along with her boyfriend Siddhartha Reddy, reportedly after their family members rejected their marriage proposal. Pratyusha died while undergoing treatment at Care Hospital, while Siddartha recovered after treatment. The case was widely discussed in the media and attracted public attention as the suspicion of murder arose on Siddhartha, and after a forensic expert opined that the cause of her death was 'asphyxia due to manual strangulation'. The report was referred to Professor T D Dogra, an eminent forensic expert and Head of Forensic Division, at All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi. The doctor's report was then found to be faulty. In 2004, Siddhartha was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs. 6,000 as he was found guilty of suicide attempt and abetting Pratyusha to commit suicide.

After her death, her mother started a charity in her name.