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Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Debt-ridden Golden Age Bollywood actor sold beachside bungalow and moved into a chawl, refused to touch newborn son for one year
Born and raised in pre-partition Lahore, Gulshan Kumar Ahuja was chosen by filmmaker Mehboob Khan in a talent hunt. He was immediately brought to Mumbai, and given the opportunity to star in the films Ek Hi Raasta and Aurat, released in 1939 and 1940, respectively. Aurat would later be remade as Mother India in 1957 by Mehboob Khan himself. But, by then, Gulshan, who had been given the screen name Aroon, had faded away. He decided to turn producer, but the sole movie he produced flopped. Aroon had to move out of his Carter Road bungalow with his wife and children, and move into a chawl in the then semi-rural suburb of Virar. This is where the youngest of his five children was born. They called him Chi Chi affectionately. But he's popularly known as Govinda. He'd go on to become one of the biggest male stars the Hindi film industry has ever seen. In a 2014 interview with The Times of India, Govinda said, 'My dad Aroon was launched as a hero in 1940 by Mehboob Khan sahab in Aurat. We are originally from Gujranwala in Pakistan. My father was very successful and we had a bungalow on Carter Road, till one day when he produced a film and went into a heavy loss. We had to sell off our bungalow and moved to Virar. My dad's nervous system had got shaken up and for about 15 years, he remained unwell. I have four sisters and an older brother, Kirti.' Also read – Patriarch of iconic Bollywood family abandoned his son, forced second family to live in secrecy for decades, went blind in his final days In an interview with India Today, Govinda reflected on the hard times. 'We never bought umbrellas. We thought the rain would only last four months, so why waste money?' He also recalled the humiliation that his family was subjected to because of unpaid bills and piling debts 'The baniya used to make me stand for hours because he knew I wouldn't pay for the goods. Once I refused to go to the shop anymore. My mother started crying and I cried with her,' he said. The money he received for the film Love 86 partly paid for the Rs 1.5 lakh that his family owed. With his next cheque, he bought a Maruti car. At his peak, Govinda was doing a dozen movies a year, and was charging Rs 1 crore per film. Govinda's meteoric rise in the films – legend has it that he signed over 70 movies after his debut – mirrors that of his father. According to a 1942 article, 'Various producers then knocked at his door and his next pictures were Ram Chander Thakur's Civil Marriage and Zia Sarhadi's Bhole Bhale.' But Mehboob Khan wouldn't allow Aroon to work with other producers. 'His polished, sincere and unaffected acting had paved his way to stardom. Variety, they say, is the spice of life and versatility is the spice of acting—and Aroon has already proved himself to be a versatile star by playing many roles so superbly,' the article gushed. Also read – Bollywood icon got 'married' at 13 to man three decades her senior, watched her infant daughter die, converted to Islam after seeing dreams But Govinda's relationship with his father was complicated. He addressed rumours that his father had abandoned the family after his birth, and said that the truth was more uncomfortable. His mother, Nirmala Devi, became a sadhu after he was born, and this affected Aroon deeply. 'After my birth my mother became a saint, so they lived together under one roof though not as man and wife,' Govinda told India Today. Things became so strained between them that Aroon refused to accept Govinda as a child. 'So, for a year after I was born, my daddy did not take me in his lap, as he connected my birth with him losing his wife to becoming a sadhu. But over time, people would tell him how I was a khoobsurat kid and that I was a good boy and then, he started loving me. I was such a mama's boy that no one imagined that I could come into the film line. She wanted me to do a bank job. It was my dad who encouraged me to come into films. He would say, 'You can write so well, you look so nice, you can act, you should try in films. Why are you going around finding a job?' So sometimes, without telling my mom, I would go to Rajshri Productions to see if I could get some work. Then one day, I requested mummy to allow me. She said, 'No sharab, no cigarette. If you want to try for sometime, try, but I don't want to see those things in life.'' Read more – Bollywood director lost entire life's savings after one flop; daughter was forced to dance, son performed for money at beach to repay debts And Govinda lived up to the promise. He was the biggest male movie star of the 1990s, and continued working till the mid-2000s. But that's when his career started declining. The issues that producers used to tolerate in his heyday suddenly weren't tolerated anymore. His films started flopping, and he hasn't done a movie since 2019. But he was always prepared for this. Just a year or two after joining the film industry, Govinda told ITMB that he was aware of the transient nature of fame and success, something that he learned after closely witnessing his father's downfall. 'I know already that this won't last forever. Times change. My father was a top actor once upon a time. But he lost it all, and we moved from Mumbai to Virar. Now, we're back in Mumbai,' he said. Aroon died in 1998.
India.com
2 minutes ago
- India.com
Ameesha Patel once rejected THIS Salman Khan's film, later became a blockbuster, turned lead actress into an overnight star, film was.., lead actress was…
Ameesha Patel once rejected THIS Salman Khan's film, later became a blockbuster, turned lead actress into an overnight star, film was.., lead actress was... Ameesha Patel was offered the lead role in Tere Naam before Bhumika Chawla. Bhumika Chawla become an overnight star with Tere Naam Tere Naam collected Rs 24 crore In the unpredictable world of Bollywood, fame is always fleeting, where one film can hamper the career of an actor, and another can turn them into an overnight sensation. Fate often works in mysterious ways in the world of Bollywood; how an actor's destiny turns around after a Friday release is something nobody can predict. One such similar tale happened when one actor's rejection became a golden ticket for stardom for another. Such was the story of the film Tere Naam. This film became a milestone in Salman Khan's career and a career-defining moment for Bhumika Chawla. But behind the massive success of this film is a story that many don't know. Before Bhumika Chawla, it was Ameesha Patel who was considered for the role of Nirjara . But Ameesha Patel refused to take this offer, and even Bhumika took on the release. What followed was nothing short of remarkable. The success and earnings of Tere Naam Directed by Satish Kaushik, Tere Naam was released on 15 August 2003. The film was made on a modest budget of Rs 12 crore, and it turned out to be a blockbuster, earning twice its cost. It collected Rs 24.55 crore worldwide. But besides the commercial success, people loved the film for its soulful music and emotional quotient. Some of its songs, like Tere Naam, Tumse Milna , Lagan Lagi, and O Jaana, continue to echo in playlists even today, reminding fans of its emotional depth. Salman Khan, who portrayed the role of Radhe, captivated everyone with his impeccable performance; his hairstyle and elements are still a part of pop culture. However, besides Salman Khan, it was Bhumika Chawla's soft yet powerful performance as Nirjara that stood out. The tragic climax of the film left audiences in tears, and critics praised her natural screen presence. For her very first Bollywood role, Bhumika won the Best Debut Actress award. How Ameesha Patel's rejection became Bhumika's redemption As per reports, Ameesha Patel, who was offered the role of Nirjara initiall y, was riding high after the massive success of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). With back-to-back projects in her kitty, Ameesha declined Tere Naam because of date issues. This decision not only took away a massive opportunity from Ameesha, but it also became a breakthrough moment for Bhumika. Bhumika, already a familiar name in South cinema, suddenly became a household name across India. After Tere Naam, she appeared in films like Run and Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha . She also contin ued her work in Telugu, Tamil, Bhojpuri, and Punjabi cinema.
New Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Ghaziabad woman alleges dowry harassment, pressure to maintain body like Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi
A woman in Ghaziabad has filed a police complaint against her husband and in-laws, accusing them of dowry harassment and mental and physical abuse. She also claimed she was pressured to maintain a physique like Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi. According to the complaint, the woman was married six months ago, with her family reportedly spending over Rs 76 lakh on the wedding. Despite this, she alleges that her husband, a physical education teacher in a government school, constantly body-shamed her, calling her 'fat and ugly,' and demanded she exercise for three hours daily. Failure to comply, she claimed, resulted in food deprivation. The woman further accused her in-laws of forcing her to take an abortion pill, leading to a miscarriage. She also alleged that her husband frequently watched inappropriate content online and was a habitual womaniser. Assistant Commissioner of Police Saloni Agarwal confirmed the registration of an FIR at the women's police station. "The complainant has made serious allegations including dowry harassment, coercion, and physical assault. An investigation is underway," said Agarwal. (With inputs from PTI)
