Meet actor who rejected 200 films, they made Shah Rukh, Aamir superstars; he failed as hero, now works in...

Written By Abhimanyu Mathur | Updated: May 17, 2024, 08:07 AM IST

Sudesh Berry

This actor reportedly rejected as many as 200 films, some of which helped the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan become stars

No actor can sign all the films they are offered. None of the top ones at least. In the early 90s in Hindi cinema, heroes were offered scripts by the wholesale. And even though many lead actors did 8-10 films a year, they rejected many others. This one leading man is said to have rejected 200 films through his career, some of which went on to be iconic, making others big stars.

The star who rejected 200 films

Sudesh Berry began his career with an uncredited role in the 1988 release Khatron Ke Khiladi and was then noticed in a supporting role in Ghayal. Over the next two years, he appeared in lead roles in a couple of films. Berry said later in his career that he was extremely selective about the films he did. In an interview with Times of India in 2014, the actor claimed to have rejected 200 films over the course of his career.

Sudesh Berry’s rejected films that made others superstars

One of the films that Sudesh Berry was offered was Yash Chopra’s Darr. The actor even screen tested for the role of the antagonist. However, he did not play the role. Some reports say that he was rejected by the director while others claim that he left because he did not want to play the dark role. Eventually, Shah Rukh Khan played the role and it was pivotal in his rise to superstardom. Berry also turned down other films that benefitted the likes of Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan in the 90s.

Sudesh Berry in Border

Sudesh Berry’s later career

In 1997, Sudesh Berry acted in Border, his most memorable outing on the big screen. Although his role was small but it is remembered even today. The actor then switched to television shows and appeared in a host of them such as Suraag, Amber Dhara, Siya Ke Ram, and Muskan. He continued to do films as well but never got lead roles again.         

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