Ever wondered what Imran Khan is up to after his glorious first few years In Bollywood? What happened to star kids Fardeen Khan and Zayed Khan? Where’s the once-upon-a-time ultimate Indian beauty, Chitrangda Singh?
There was a time when we couldn’t get enough of them – producers sent them the best scripts, directors loved them, and the audience wanted to be them or be with them. They weren’t and aren’t a one-hit-wonder, some of them have done some remarkable work and yet they seem to have gone off the radar. They were fashionable, beautiful and desirable and that’s all that mattered. Or so we thought. However, it’s been aeons since we’ve seen them on the big screen. While we do get know little tidbits about them, they largely remain low key. We look at 10 actors who are missing from the big screen…
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Long before the Janhvi Kapoor-Sara Ali Khan debutante stand-off, Bollywood was witness to the clash of the superstar debuts when Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were launched within a span of six months. Imran Khan was undoubtedly the underdog but when Jaane Tu . . . Ya Jaane Na released, it shot Khan to stardom. He was the next big thing in Bollywood, critics predicted. His next two films were duds at the box-office but Khan made a remarkable comeback with I Hate Luv Storys and Delhi Belly. That was in 2011. His last big-screen release was Katti Batti opposite Kangana Ranaut which was yet another dud. We haven’t seen him on-screen since 2015. It was also reported that the actor wasn’t in a good mental space for some time.
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Abhay Deol is so charming that despite belonging to the influential Deol family, allegations of nepotism have never touched him. That’s also because he is a fantastic actor when he wants to be. His roles in Dev.D, Aisha, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara were proof of his acting skills. However, since 2011, he has failed to make a mark in the Hindi film industry but has found favour in the OTT space with Chopsticks and JL50.
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While Fardeen Khan may have never been in the same league as Imran Khan, he did find success in oddball roles in films like No Entry, Heyy Babyy, Bhoot and Fida. His last film was in 2010 and the next time he made headlines was when the media went ballistic after pictures of him looking fat and puffy went viral on social media. However, there is speculation that Khan is making a comeback in films and he’s shed all those extra kilos.
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Son of Jeetendra and brother to TV empress Ekta Kapoor, Tusshar made his debut with the blockbuster hit, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai. His successful stints in the Golmaal series, Shootout at Wadala and The Dirty Picture did not go unnoticed. However, his adult comedies like Mastizaade failed to leave a mark and we haven’t seen him on the big screen for four years now. He, however, turned producer last year with Akshay Kumar’s Laxxmi Bomb.
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When Zayed Khan made his debut, he was the quintessential “bad boy”. He had the looks, the rock-hard physique and that badass style that made him a favourite among men and women alike. His starring roles in Main Hoon Na, Cash, Mission Istanbul and Blue relied heavily on his charm and good looks. However, Khan’s last role in films was in 2015 but he’s set to make a comeback soon.
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Zafar was such a big deal when he started that he was soon dubbed the “sexiest Asian man on the planet” by the media. He had meaty roles in Tere Bin Laden, London, Paris, New York and Dear Zindagi but appears to have dropped off the radar since then. Of course, the cross-border situation doesn’t allow him to work here freely but he went off the scene even before that. In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement which had finally hit South-Asian shores, Zafar was accused of sexual harassment by singer Meesha Shafi but Zafar filed a one billion rupees defamation suit in return.
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Beautiful, statuesque and bold, Chitrangada Singh was never a huge star but she was always there in your periphery. She was the favourite of magazines and found herself on many covers. Her films haven’t exactly been unforgettable but so powerful was her aura that Singh always managed to stay relevant. However, after a series of duds, the actress was last seen on the big screen in 2018 but is reportedly making a comeback in 2021.
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Remember Taarzan: The Wonder Car? Of course, you do. 2004 was Takia’s year through and through and she won numerous awards. She was also seen in films like Salaam-E-Ishq, No Smoking and Wanted. However, since 2011, the actress has quit acting but is still pretty active on social media. She is married to Farhan Azmi and her father-in-law is Samajwadi Party bigwig, Abu Azmi.
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Nargis Fakhri shot to fame when she played a leading role in the 2011 blockbuster phenomenon, Rockstar. She made remarkable if surprising choices in Madras Cafe and Spy but found better coverage in the media when she starred in mindless comedies like Main Tera Hero and Housefull 3. There were rumours that she was getting married to Uday Chopra but the couple broke up in 2017. Reportedly, Nargis left Bollywood because she couldn’t adjust to the way of working here.
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When Harman Baweja made his debut in Bollywood opposite Priyanka Chopra in Love Story 2050, he was touted as the next Hrithik Roshan with many claiming that the two looked alike. The only other film we sort of remember him in is 2009’s What’s Your Rashee which was also a Priyanka Chopra-led film. There were also rumours that the two were dating. He’s had an erratic if a not non-existent career in Bollywood.
ML Entertainment