The one hit wonders

The brother of Dilip Kumar, Nasir Khan did not have an easy journey through his career. Making his debut in 1945's 'Mazdoor', he could never step out of his brother's shadow. He played the reel brother of Dilip Kumar in the 1961 classic 'Ganga Jumna' before moving over to the other side of the border, and into complete obscurity.

While Zeenat Aman was stealing hearts with her slinky style singing 'Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko', another young man was trying to find his space in the spotlight. Vijay Arora remains most memorable for his performance as the guitar strumming brother in the classic 'Yaadon ki Baarat', though he acted in almost 110 films. A talented actor, he was reduced to peripheral roles and could never make an impact like in his first film.

It is certainly not easy to be a star son. Suneil Anand made his debut in his father, Dev Anand's eponymous 'Anand aur Anand'. It was followed by a spate of forgotten duds like 'Car Thief', 'Main Tere Liye' and 'Master'. He retired soon after, and now heads his father's prestigious Navketan Productions.

Her performance as the young unwed mother in 'Julie'(1976) wowed critics and audiences alike. But Lakshmi never stayed in the spotlight of Hindi cinema. Her career found greater success down south with films like 'Mohiniyattam'(Malayalam), 'Vamshi'(Kannada) and 'Dikkatra Parvathi' (Tamil).

A beatific face and graceful manners were the most lasting memories of Manish, the hero of 'Saraswatichandra'. The lead of one of the biggest hits of the year, Manish vanished from the screens after the film. He would appear in peripheral roles in films like 'Vishnu Puran' (1973), but the highlight of his career remains his performance in 'Saraswatichandra'.

It is not surprising that many star children make up this list. Another one is Prem Kishan, the son of actor Prem Nath. His debut film, 'Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye', revived the future of Rajshri productions. Sadly, it did not do the same for his career. Prem Kishan was soon forgotten in the wave of Amitabh Bachchan hits in the late 70s.

If you are born a Kapoor, it is a given that you will act. Rajiv Kapoor could not escape his destiny, and appeared on the big screen in his father's film 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili'. But his career did not take off like his brother Rishi or Randhir. He tried his hand at direction with 'Henna', before taking leave of Bollywood completely.

Cute, babyfaced Vivek Mushran was the apple of everyone's eye in the film 'Saudagar'. Starring opposite Manisha Koirala, his nuanced feisty role caught everyone's eye. Sadly, it was the peak of his short career. Still, few can claim to make their debuts in a film with giants like Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar.

The most successful one hit wonder on the list, Rahul Roy's performance in 'Aashiqui' was the launch of a phenomenon. It cemented his position as the romantic lover boy in Bollywood. A few decades and some horrible film choices later, Rahul Roy is remembered for the nostalgic 90s, or as a popular Bigg Boss contestant.

When she made her debut bathing in a white chiffon saree in 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili, she became the ideal Raj Kapoor heroine. But soon, Mandakini was a regular feature on Page 3 due to her rumoured connections with the underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim. Her film career fell by the wayside and was soon forgotten.

Stealing the limelight from Salman Khan is not an easy job. The cherubic Bhagyashree did that to great effect in 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. The innocence and radiant beauty of the heroine was one of the high points of the superhit. However, Bhagyashree vanished from the screens after a couple of forgettable performances. She has made a comeback to the small screen with the serial 'Laut Aao Trisha'.

The second half of the hit 'Aashiqui' pair, Anu Agarwal shared the fate of anonymity with her co-star. Her dusky looks and smouldering personality brought her a million fans, but she could not sustain their attention. After a spate of flops, she retired to practice and teach yoga.

His innocence and puppy dog eyes left every mother watching Shekhar Kapoor's 'Masoom' welling up. Jugal Hansraj was a star before he got out of school. His big break came in the Yash Chopra love saga 'Mohabbatein', but that was about it. He would try his hand at directing his fellow star Uday Chopra in 'Pyar Impossible'. Neither the film nor his career would recover from the debacle.

A former Miss India, Priya Gill could've been the next big star of Bollywood. Her simple beauty and girl next door looks were a big draw for her initial films like 'Tere Mere Sapne' and 'Sirf Tum'. Unfortunately, her acting career stalled after these movies. She continued to make appearances in films like 'Josh' and 'LOC Kargil', but nothing more memorable.

Sneha Ullal's debut opposite Salman Khan in 'Lucky: No Time For Love' can only be termed a rebound. Many people saw deeper meaning into his heroine who bore an uncanny resemblance to his ex, Aishwarya Rai. It did not earn her any goodwill, and she turned South in the hope of resurrecting her career.

Bhoomika Chawla arrived in Bollywood with a record of successful films down South. 'Tere Naam' proved to be a blockbuster and earned her a Filmfare nomination. But it was a false dawn, as successive flops erased her from public memory. However, she was able to establish herself as a successful actress down South in Telugu and Tamil films.