The early 2000s saw a spate of thrillers being made in Bollywood. A number of films, inspired by Hollywood hits, hit the screens in that decade, often bringing new talent to the industry. Among these newcomers was a young actor who had quite a start to his career after his second film became the year’s biggest hit. But it all fell apart for him soon after because of an obscene MMS scandal.

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The actor who found himself in an MMS scandal

Ashmit Patel is the brother of Ameesha Patel. The actor made his debut in Inteha, a 2003 film starrig Vidya Malavade and Nauheed Cyrusi. But his breakthrough came with a supporting role in Murder the following year. Made on a budget of just Rs 5 crore, the film grossed Rs 25 crore and was a sensation due to the steamy scenes of Mallike Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi. Ashmit went on to act in several more films. But the following year, he was caught in a scandal when an obscene MMS featuring him and his then-girlfriend actress Riya Sen was leaked online.

How the MMS scandal affected Ashmit Patel’s career

In a recent interaction with Siddharth Kannan, Ashmit revealed that initially he and Riya fought the leaked video together, sending notices to media houses and engaging a lawyer jointly. However, the actor added that after a while, Riya grew distant because rumours began spreading that Ashmit had leaked the video himself. The two broke up eventually. Ashmit said that work offers dried up for him and when he asked for help in Bollywood, he got none.

Ashmit Patel’s later career

Between 2006 and 2013, Ashmit did only one film, a delayed release. He returned to acting in 2013 with the film Super Model followed by a supporting role in Jai Ho. He also appeared in Bigg Boss season 4 and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa season 5. In 2020, he made his OTT debut with Peshawar. Over the years, Ashmit has also embarked upon a career as DJ and now works professionally as one.

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