Cinema is magical not just because it weaves fiction and lets the patent
desires of a person be projected in the precincts of the dark screen but also
because it brings in a high degree of unpredictability. Stars who are bad
starters who are willing to occupy the crease for long do make it while some
rule in style but only for a while. As a century has gone past here is a list
of the ten who conquered but to deceive and like dust lost their stardom. Here
too, the list is far from complete and is not intended to add injury to insult.
1. Deepak Parashar: When BR Chopra made the Muslim musical triangular love
story little would be imagine that the hero would go unnoticed and the guy who
quickly turn villain would last longer. Deepak with Nikaah and Insaaf Ka Tarazu
made big news and thus the thud was even more visible. Rumours about his
preferences made it to the film magazines but not much on screen.
2. Kumar Gaurav: He too started with a bang. There was a time when youngsters
fell in love, parents opposed the rich poor divide and the young teenagers were
on the run. Old world love story. Kumar Gaurav was the darling and gals
swooned. So did the acting career.
3. Sanjay Kapoor: Not every guy gets a chance to share screen space with the
likes of Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor in the lead and still not deliver at
the BO. While Raja was a super hit, this actor’s lineage was not sufficient to
get the fans to the theatre.
4. Vijay Arora: A debut with Zeenat Aman in a Nazir Hussain film. He could not
have asked for more and the churaliya hai tumne was a craze. Then he made his
way to some BR Ishara films and slowly and surely the decline was visible and
finally he invisible.
5. Rajiv Kapoor: This is the one big disappointment from the Kapoor stable.
Marketed as the ideal replacement to uncle Shammi, this nephew started with a
bang: Ram Teri Ganga Maili and a camp to stand him in good stead. Neither were
sufficient to keep this Kapoor out from the Kapoor Midas touch. He did not last
even as long as Bhaiya Daboo.
6. Rahul Roy: This is one name Aditya Roy would like to avoid. Like Aashiqui 2
it is forerunner too made big melodious news. Where did the one film wonder
disappear in his few and far between appearances outside the Bhat camp is a
another way of talking about a promising debut that remained a promise.
7. Vivek Mushran: He made his debut with Manisha – one of the many Ms in the
filmography of Subash Ghai. He was noticed even in the presence of the likes of
Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar and Anupam Kher. However the career was a question mark
just like the one he raised on debut: Yeh ILU ILU kya hai! He was marketed as
the chocolate faced hero with a lot of promise but he to disappeared except for
an odd appearance in some film or in a list of this kind.
8. Jugal Hansraj: While his debut co star (Urmila Matonkar) found her Prof.
Higgins in RGV this man was stranded after a dream debut with Shekar Kapoor as
his director and actors like Naseer, Shabana and Supriya Pathak (Massom).
However when he returned to the silver screen with Mohabatein and the rest he
was summarily rejected. The magical innocence was lost and the cutie pie looks
disappeared with the calendar just like he did form public memory.
9. Uday Chopra: A actor whose success is far from proportionate to his acting
skills and his power connections. This Dhoom star is now not even seen in many
home productions and is a clear case that at the Bombay Talkies nothing but
what you did last Friday matters.
10. Shiney Ahuja: Lakhon Khwaishein that you make a debut in a film like
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. While of the trio, KK ensured a special space for
himself (though not proportionate with his talent) and Chitrangada has made her
compromises with cinema, this talent is completely lost, some time is scandal,
some time in obscurity.
L. Ravichander.