Man who ruined his Bollywood career with one dialogue, once top model, Sridevi's hero, changed his name, left India to..

The year 1991 was a busy one for Bollywood. Lots of actors debuted that year, many who would go on to be big names in the industry for the next two decades. While the likes of Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Urmila Matondkar, and Karisma Kapoor went on to have successful careers, many others like Vivek Mushran and Ashvini Bhave slipped through the cracks. Amid these was one man, who appeared in just one film, and never got another chance.

The one-film wonder from 1991

Deepak Malhotra was one of the top models in India in the late-80s. After his initial advertisements took off, Deepak began to be counted among India’s biggest models. This meant a lot of film offers came his way. He went for a supporting role in Yash Chopra’s Lamhe, rejecting the lead role in Chamatkar (which eventually went to Shah Rukh Khan). However, Lamhe was a commercial failure. The film, which starred Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, had Deepak in a small role as Sridevi’s husband. But far from getting the launch pad he had hoped for, the role proved to be his career’s millstone.

Deepak Malhotra’s infamous Pallo moment

Deepak’s acting and dialogue delivery in Lamhe were criticised as wooden. One particular scene where he tries to wake Sridevi up by repeatedly calling her character’s name became infamous. His wooden and slightly accented rendition of Pallo was a fodder of countless jokes. As per reports, the actor was removed from Yash Chopra’s next film Darr. The role went to Sunny Deol instead. He was reportedly also removed from Sooryavanshi, Junoon, and Bekhudi, with the roles going to Salman Khan, Rahul Roy, and Saif Ali Khan respectively. Deepak did sign another film but left films before finishing it. In 1994, after one film and a few missed opportunities, the actor bid adieu to not just Bollywood but also India.

Where is Deepak Malhotra now?

In 1994, Deepak changed his name to Dino Martelli and moved to the US after receiving modelling assignments there. There, he married choreographer and model Lubna Adams. They have two children Kian Martelli and Kyle Martelli with the former following in his father’s footsteps as a model. Martelli reportedly runs an apparel business in New York, having retired from modelling for a few years now.

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