Mumbai, August 22, 2026: Sonu Tyagi, an award-winning writer, director and producer and Founder of Go Spiritual and Approach Entertainment Group, has expressed deep sorrow over the devastating family tragedy that unfolded on Khavdya Hill near Tisgaon in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, on Friday. An 18-year-old youth, identified as Kunal Murlidhar Chandvade, lost his life after falling from the cliff following a dispute with his father over a new iPhone. His father, Murlidhar Chandvade, aged 48, fell while trying to save him, and his mother, Sangeeta Murlidhar Chandvade, aged 42, also fell to her death after witnessing the incident. All three members of the family perished within moments of each other around 1 pm.
According to District Collector Vinay Gowda and police accounts, the teenager had asked his father for a new iPhone, which the father refused. Upset by the refusal, Kunal went to the edge of the high cliff around 10 am and remained there for nearly three hours despite continuous efforts by his parents, villagers, the local sarpanch, police and fire brigade personnel to persuade him to come down. The sarpanch even offered to arrange an iPhone for him in a desperate bid to bring him to safety. At around 1 pm, as his father approached and tried to pull him away from the edge, the boy fell, pulling his father down with him. Seeing both fall, the mother also slipped or jumped and lost her life.
Sonu Tyagi described the incident as a painful reflection of a growing crisis in which material desire, emotional fragility and the inability to handle disappointment are destroying families. “This is not merely the tragedy of one family. It is a spiritual and social warning,” he said. “When the desire for a material object becomes stronger than the value of life itself, and when young minds are not equipped with emotional resilience or inner contentment, even the purest parental love can end in irreversible loss. A mobile phone cannot be more precious than a son, a father or a mother. Yet in this moment of darkness, material craving overpowered everything.”
From a spiritual perspective, Tyagi emphasised that Indian wisdom has always taught the importance of contentment and detachment from excessive material wants. “True fulfilment does not come from the latest gadget or status symbol. It comes from inner peace, gratitude and healthy relationships. When we fail to nurture these values in our children and in ourselves, frustration and despair take root. Spirituality is not about rejecting the world. It is about not allowing the world to control our peace of mind.”
Tyagi linked the tragedy to the larger mental health emergency facing the nation. Many young people today struggle with comparison, peer pressure and the constant messaging that happiness lies in possessions. Parents, too, carry their own stresses and often lack the tools to communicate effectively during conflict. The result is a dangerous emotional gap. He stressed the urgent need for conversations at home, in schools and in society about emotional intelligence, healthy coping mechanisms and the difference between needs and endless wants.
Go Spiritual has long advocated mental and emotional well-being as an essential part of spiritual living. Through its platforms, including Go Spiritual News Magazine and App and planned Web TV and OTT content, the organisation promotes awareness around stress, anxiety, relationship conflicts and the importance of seeking timely help. Tyagi also reiterated the need for stronger government and community support systems, accessible counselling, school-level emotional education and greater public dialogue that destigmatises mental health struggles.
“Every life is sacred. No material object is worth the destruction of a family,” Sonu Tyagi said. “We must teach our children that their worth is not measured by the phone they hold, but by the values they carry. We must teach parents that firm guidance combined with deep listening is an act of love. And we must create a society where emotional pain is met with support, not silence. Only then can we prevent such devastating losses.”
Sonu Tyagi is an acclaimed award-winning writer, director and producer with more than two decades of experience in the Indian media and entertainment landscape. He holds a degree in Psychology and has pursued advanced studies in Advertising Management, Journalism and Filmmaking. He founded his ventures at the age of 24 and today leads Approach Entertainment Group, a multi-vertical entertainment and communications powerhouse specialising in film production, celebrity management, advertising and corporate films, film marketing, events and entertainment marketing. The group also houses Approach Communications, a PR, digital and integrated communications agency, and Approach Bollywood. Tyagi has contributed to over 40 Bollywood films, co-produced the spiritual web series Two Great Masters starring Rakesh Bedi, and serves as Creative Producer on the satirical Hindi comedy Camp Decent, starring Rajpal Yadav, Brajendra Kala, Hemant Pandey and Sara Khan. He is also co-producing the global film Liberation.
Go Spiritual, founded by Sonu Tyagi, is a spiritual and wellness organisation dedicated to spiritual awareness, philanthropy, mental health and wellness, Ayurveda, media, spiritual tourism, organic living and social causes. It operates as an initiative of Approach Entertainment Group and actively promotes compassion, inner balance and social responsibility through campaigns such as Go Veg and Bhookh Mitao.
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