In the 1950s, the three biggest stars in Bollywood were the triumvirate of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand. These three were veritable superstars but earlier on in the decade one actor challenged their hegemony, and in a style that nobody expected. For close to a decade, this man from Meerut was as big as any other actor in Hindi films. But alas, the fame did not last too long.
The superstar who was bigger than Amitabh Bachchan
Bharat Bhushan came into the film industry in 1941 with the film Chitralekha but struggled for a decade. It was with the 1952 hit Baiju Bawra that he became a star and remained at the top for a decade after that, delivering hits like Basant Bahar, Phagun, Barsaat Ki Raat. By the late-1960s, even as his star was fading, he was still counted as one of the top stars in Bollywood, and certainly ahead of the younger generation of actors, which included future superstars Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. At one point, he was called India's richest actor.
How Bharat Bhushan was ruined by his brother
Bharat Bhushan’s older brother Rameshchandra Gupta was a film producer. He convinced the star to invest in films and become a producer. However, most of these films flopped at the box office. By the 70s, Bharat Bhushan fell into deep debt and was almost bankrupt. To save himself from financial ruin, the actor had to sell his prized bungalow (which would later be bought by Rajendra Kumar and eventually Rajesh Khanna) as well as all his cars.
Bharat Bhushan’a later life and death
Bharat Bhushan continued to act but mostly in supporting roles. At times, he even played uncredited extras in big films for money. By the 80s, the actor was able to recover financially. He, however, led a simple life. Amitabh Bachchan once recounted how he spotted him at a bus stand, waiting for a bus, which led him to dwell on the fickle nature of stardom. In 1992, Bharat Bhushan passed away at the age of 72. He had his family by his side but nobody from the industry bothered to check on him in his final days.
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