"The last time I met her, Jiah told me that everyone around her makes her feel like a failure," Varma posted on his Twitter page, after hearing the news that the 25-year-old had committed suicide at her Juhu home here around midnight.
"Inspite of being highly appreciated in 'Nishabd' and being a part of hugely successful 'Ghajini' and 'Housefull', she had no work for the last three years. I don't know the reason what led to this, but Jiah was very depressed about her career and scared for her future," he added.
Varma said that he had "never ever seen a debutant actress with more spunk and more spirit than Jiah when I was directing her in 'Nishabd'".
"Nishabd" required Jiah to face the camera with a thespian like Amitabh Bachchan in an unusual love story between a 18-year-old and 60-year-old. And she did it with confidence.
The movie was controversial and not very well-received at the box office, but it made the industry sit up and take notice of the then 19-year-old girl Jiah, who left a lasting impression with her act of a free-spirited soul.
"So young and so pretty," recalls Varma, adding: "Just can't believe that someone as young and so full of life is just dead. No matter what her problem was, I just so wish she applied her on screen philosophy of 'Nishabd' to her own life which is to 'Take Lite'."