This actor was called Bollywood's next big thing at 24, ahead of even Shah Rukh, Salman, and Akshay, till he lost all that with 20 consecutive flops.
The Khans have virtually ruled Bollywood for over three decades now. Ever since Salman and Aamir broke through in the late-80s and were joined by Shah Rukh a few years later, they have been the highest-grossing and most successful actors in the Hindi film industry. The only man who has rivalled their success is probably Akshay Kumar. But right when they were all starting out, there was one actor who was considered bigger than all of them, virtually the next superstar. But then, all of a sudden, he fell off track.
The actor who was once bigger than the Khans
Rahul Roy was a contemporary of the Khans and Akshay Kumar. The actor began his journey in films in 1990, just a couple of years after Aamir and Salman made their debut and a couple of years before Shah Rukh and Akshay. His first film was a legit blockbuster – the musical hit Aashiqui. The success of the film meant that at only 24, Rahul Roy was heralded as the next big thing of Bollywood. Over the next three years, the actor appeared in other hits and critically-acclaimed films like Pyaar Ka Saaya, Junoon, and Gumrah. By 1993, he was widely regarded as the most prominent young actor in Bollywood.
How Rahul Roy’s career fell apart
Between Aashiqui and Gumrah, the peak of his career, Rahul had a few failures too. Films like Baarish, Janam, and Bhookamp did not work at the box office. But with three hits, he was still a commercially viable name. After 1993, it was a different case altogether. Over the next seven years, Rahul appeared in eight films, all of which flopped at the box office. After a hiatus, he returned to acting in 2005 and continued his bad run of form, delivering 12 more flops, the last of which was the 2020 release Sayonee. So far, Rahul has given 20 consecutive flops (and 25 overall) in the last 30 years.
Rahul Roy’s financial woes and health issues
In 2020, Rahul Roy had a brain stroke while filming LAC. The actor had to be hospitalised and underwent treatment for several weeks. In subsequent interviews, the actor revealed that he did not have the finances for his treatment and it was actually Salman Khan who helped him with that. The actor currently lives in Mumbai and is looking to return to the big screen after his recovery.
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 "The actor who was once bigger than the Khans")
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