Since its inception, Bollywood has allowed scores of aspiring actors to try their luck in front of the camera, and in turn given Hindi movie-lovers some invaluable artists. However, while many of those actors come out with all guns blazing and create a lot of buzz in their wake, they fail to keep the excitement up and eventually fizzle out. Here are 10 such Bollywood actors, who started out as great successes in the industry before their promising careers hit rock-bottom.

1. Rahul Roy

© Vishesh Films

The year 1990 saw a young man becoming an overnight star after Aashiqui hit the silver screens. The film became such a massive success, people had great hopes from its lead pair, especially Rahul Roy who had shown a lot of promise. However, he failed to keep up his good work in the following years, and soon faded out of memory.

2. Kumar Gaurav

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Much like Rahul Roy, Kumar Gaurav too touched the heights of glory with his debut movie Love Story. The film became a blockbuster and people pinned their hopes on this second generation star-in-the-making. However, none of Kumar Gauravâs following stints made an impact at the box office, and soon enough he vanished from the industry and turned into a businessman.

3. Imran Khan

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Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na was such a perfect Bollywood debut for Imran, girls literally craved for a best friend (and more) like Rats! Yet, despite the filmâs tremendous success and Imran winning Filmfareâs Best Male Debut award, Imran failed to charm the audience once again. He worked with some pretty big names in the industry, but failed to keep up and eventually ran out of work.

4. Dino Morea

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People remembered this supermodel turned actor from his appearance on the TV show Captain Vyom. And while Dinoâs debut film Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi wasnât a huge success, Dinoâs moment of glory finally came with Raaz. But even that remained an one-off good luck. Despite trying his hands in various movie genres, Dino couldnât impress the audience and soon disappeared from the limelight.

5. Govinda

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Once a mega-star of his time, nobody had seen Govindaâs downfall coming. He worked hard to keep up with the changing times, but fell short every time. At one point it was reported that the former hit maker was going through a major financial crisis and was struggling to get by. From starting his own production company to acting in B-grade films, Govinda did it all until he disappeared.

6. Aftab Shivdasani

© Facebook Aftab Shivdasani

Another promising newcomer movie-lovers had high hopes from was actor Aftab. His debut film Mast turned out to be such a popular film, people expected Aftab to reach great heights. However, he couldnât land any successful lead roles, and ended up starring in multi-starrer films. Yet, despite trying to stay in the limelight, the audience doesnât really care about him anymore. 

7. Priyanshu Chatterjee

© T-Series

This one probably broke a million hearts because following the massive response Priyanshu received for his debut in Tum Bin people swore the actor was meant for great things. However, although he landed a few good movies over time, no other film had a similar impact on the audience. Although still active in the movie industry, Priyanshu couldnât cash in on his initial success to its fullest potential.

8. Kunal Kapoor

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Despite a supporting role in Rang De Basanti, Kunal Kapoor caught a lot of peopleâs attention. Aslam was such a believable character; the audience took to him instantly. Many waited to see what more this convincing actor would offer in the future. But unfortunately, Kunal fell short of peopleâs expectations and couldnât really make a mark as a lead actor. Although he did a few decent roles as a supporting actor, thatâs all the success he has seen in his career so far.

9. Shiney Ahuja

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When Shiney made his 2003 debut with Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, it earned him Filmfareâs Best Male Debut award. And although he went on to do a number of films in the future; none was as impactful as his debut, barring a few films such as Life In A Metro and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. And well, the rest of his Bollywood plans were laid to rest after he was convicted in a rape case.

10. Shreyas Talpade

© Wikipedia

Although he started out as a Marathi TV actor, Shreyasâ Bollywood moment came with Iqbal. The movie was a critical and commercial hit, and established Shreyas as an actor to watch out for. Although he followed it up with films like Dor, Om Shanti Om, Golmaal Returns and the like, he messed up his chances by opting for some pretty shitty movies. Not only did that compromise his credibility as an actor, but also took away the glory he could have bagged.

Do you have a favourite of your own on this list? Let us know how you felt when they didnât live up to their potential.

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