No 'comeback' kids in Bollywood!

While the 'comeback kid of the century' Mickey Rourke readies to star in Indian director Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Hollywood debut Broken Horses, Bollywood doesn't seem to entertain cases of successful 'comeback'.

While 56-year-old Rourke's career is back on track after being derailed over a decade ago when he quit acting to pursue professional boxing, Bollywood is a lot less enthusiastic about actors trying to rise from the ashes.

So are comeback kids, especially those past their youth not welcome in Bollywood, which is increasingly populated by newcomers.

Actor Chunky Pandey who came back to the film industry after a good decade does not believe so. The actor who has been doing bit parts in comedy films said that he is still hopeful of a grand comeback as it is usually a matter of luck.

"A grand comeback in most cases happens when an actor is at the right place at the right time. It's a lot about luck. Look at Arshad Warsi, he came back with a bang in Munna Bhai, years after he had been written off and the biggest example of a comeback has to be the Big B himself," said Pandey who was Bollywood's reigning heartthrob during the late 1980's, but was pushed out of business by the onslaught of a new breed of actors including Shahrukh and Aamir Khan.

And the argument comes back to Bollywood's biggest comeback story, Amitabh Bachchan, but what is interesting is even Big B's comeback happened on the small screen albeit the big one. After delivering a spate of flops, a reportedly bankrupt Bachchan took to the idiot box with Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000 and never looked back.

While Bachchan's is an inspiring story for any aging actor hoping to relaunch his or her career, director Mahesh Bhatt is of the opinion that it is indeed difficult for actors past their prime to make it in the industry which is decidedly ageist in it's attitude.

"It is true that show biz quickly stereotypes it's actors, especially those past a certain age. There are only limited roles, usually the father or the elder brother and if you do not want to do those then you are out of work," said Mahesh Bhatt.

"I had left the industry in the 90's and when I came back a lot had changed. It requires a director's and producer's faith in an actor for him to be able to deliver and that is a difficult thing to achieve especially when you don't have a recent body of work. But as has been proved earlier, nothing is impossible in showbiz," said Pandey who will be portraying none other than the 'King of Rock and Roll' Elvis Presley in an upcoming film.

One of the most talked about comebacks in recent times has been Madhuri Dixit's Aaja Nachle. Though the film got a lukewarm reception at the box office, Dixit was lauded for her perfomance but has not been seen any film since.

This was Dixit's second attempt to return to Bollywood, she had earlier returned to acting with Jo Pyaar Karta Hai starring Ajay Devgan and Preity Zinta. The movie had tanked at the box office and Dixit returned to being a homemaker in the US after working in some other unremarkable projects.

And is it more difficult for actresses to make a comeback, and is the industry sexist along with being ageist?

"Like all other things in the world, even a comeback is a more difficult proposition for women, especially if you are past a certain age as the industry is quick to dismiss you. I made my comeback with Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par and that sort of stereotyped me as the suffering mother. And now I am consciously picking projects that help me get away from that image," said actress Tisca Chopra.

And indeed none of yesteryear's actresses have been able to recreate the success achieved by Amitabh Bachchan. While Hema Malini did score a hit alongside Big B in
Baghban, she was not able to take it forward and Zeenat Aman and Dimple Kapadia's comeback attempts have also not been successful.