Guess Who: In the 1950s, the three biggest stars of Bollywood were the trio of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. All three were superstars of Hindi cinema but another actor challenged their supremacy and that too in a genre that no one expected. For almost a decade, this actor from Meerut was a big star of Hindi films but unfortunately, his popularity did not last long. The surprising thing is that no one from the industry took any news about him in his last days. Let’s know who this actor was?
Bharat Bhushan gave many hit films
This actor was none other than Bharat Bhushan. Bharat Bhushan entered the film industry in 1941 with the film Chitralekha but he had to struggle for a decade. He became a star overnight with the 1952 hit film Baiju Bawra and remained on top for a decade after that. He gave hit films like Basant Bahaar, Phagun, Barsaat Ki Raat in his career.
By the end of the 1960s, Bharat Bhushan’s stardom had started to wane but he was still considered one of the top actors in Bollywood. He was ahead of the younger generation of actors, including future superstars Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan. At one point, he was even said to be the richest actor in India.
Bharat Bhushan was ruined because of his brother
Bharat Bhushan’s elder 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 was in debt and almost bankrupt. To save himself from ruin, the actor had to sell his prized bungalow (later bought by Rajendra Kumar and eventually Rajesh Khanna) as well as all his cars.
Amitabh saw Bharat Bhushan waiting for the bus
Bharat Bhushan was ruined but he continued to act but mostly in supporting roles. Sometimes, he even played uncredited extras in big films for money. By the 80s, the actor’s financial condition improved a bit but he again lived a simple life. Amitabh Bachchan once said that he once saw Bharat Bhushan waiting for a bus at a bus stand.
No one from the industry took care of the actor in his last days
In 1992, Bharat Bhushan died at the age of 72. His family was with him, but no one from the industry bothered to check on him in his last days.