Bollywood’s one-hit wonders: Where are they now?

Despite having dream debuts in Bollywood, which included films opposite the Khans of Bollwyood or bagging a movie with Yash Raj Films, these actors sank without a trace in the film industry. Here’s a look at Bollywood’s one-hit wonders as we try to trace where they are now.

Jugal Hansraj: Having been discovered as a child, Jugal Hansraj bagged his first film role in 1982 with Shekar Kapur’s ‘Masoon’. It would be another few years before he would make his film debut as a lead star, first with ‘Aa Gale Lag Jaa’ in 1994 and then again in 2000 with a re-launch of sorts with Aditya Chopra’s ‘Mohabbatein’. Despite a lot of promise, his films didn’t do the actor any wonders. Hansraj then later took to direction, churning out the animated film ‘Roadside Romeo’ that won three National Awards. But later, his ‘Pyaar Impossible’, starring Uday Chopra and Priynaka Chopra, sank without a trace. He later turned author with ‘Cross Connection: The Big Circus Adventure’, which was adapted from a screenplay he had worked on but never took off. In an interview with entertainment portal Pinkvilla last month, Hansraj returned to the limelight to say he has a few projects in the works, with a web series as well.

Gracy Singh: Before she hit the big screen in 2001 opposite Aamir Khan in the Oscar-nominated film ‘Lagaan’, Gracy Singh was a known face on Indian television, appearing on the hit family drama ‘Amanat’. It’s not like Singh didn’t have opportunities in Bollywood with movies such as ‘Munnabhai MBBS’ and ‘Armaan’ (with Anil Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan), along with ‘Gangaajal’ (with Ajay Devgn). But her luck at the box office ran out and her last notable film we recall was one called ‘Deshdrohi’ opposite Kamaal R. Khan. After also trying her luck in regional films, we hear she’s back on television with ‘Santoshi Maa’.

Bhumika Chawla: She was a big name in the South Indian film industry before she debuted in Bollywood in 2003 with Salman Khan’s ‘Tere Naam’ in 2003. The film earned her several award nominations, along with a Best Actress trophy. With Bollywood now accepting her, she went on to sign more films, including ‘Run’ opposite Abhishek Bachchan, followed by ‘Dil Jo Bhi Kahey...’ that starred Amitabh Bachchan. But neither film worked at the box office and after a few more attempts, she returned to South Indian cinema; her last film being ‘Ruler’ in Telugu. She also did a web series ‘Bhram’ that is streaming on Zee5.

Bhagyashree: After a dream debut Sooraj Barjatya’s ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (1989) opposite Salman Khan, Bhagyashree left showbiz to marry businessman Himalaya Dassani. In an interview with Pinkvilla, the actress stated that the late-director Yash Chopra called her a ‘stupid girl’ for giving up big film offers that came her way. In the same interview, the actress also spoke about battling prejudices of a working woman in the 90s, along with facing health issues over the past decade while she worked on the TV show, ‘Laut Aao Trisha’. “I had a major health issue and I couldn't move my hand at all. So my right hand was immobile. I had to get out of it. There were multiple issues with my hand, shoulder - I had a rotator cuff problem, impingement of my shoulders, my back muscles were shredded, my scapula had disengaged itself.” After healing, the actress is now ready for a Bollywood comeback with ‘Prabhas 20’ and ‘Thalaivi’, the latter starring Kangana Ranaut.

Gayatri Joshi: Another actress who had a dream debut was Gayatri Joshi who starred in Asutosh Gowariker’s ‘Swades’ in 2004, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. However, a year later the actress married Vikas Oberoi. Despite stepping away from the limelight, she remains besties with former film star Sonali Bendre Behl and Suzanne Khan. Trawl through her Instagram timeline and you will find her even holidaying with Akshay Kimar and Twinkle Khanna.

Sneha Ullal: Known for launching female stars into Bollywood, Salman Khan also introduced the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan lookalike, Sneha Ullal, back in 2005 with ‘Lucky: No Time for Love’. Despite giving her another movie with ‘Aryan’ a year later, Ullal struck out in Bollywood. South Indian films and regional cinema followed next but even those petered out by 2015. The actress also showed up in a music video in between but disappeared from the limelight.

Sandali Sinha: Remember the ‘Tum Bin’ actress from 2001? You will be excused if you didn’t. The actress, who came from a promising modelling background, held potential but after few films, opted to get married in 2005 and quit the industry. She did however have a cameo in ‘Tum Bin 2’ back in 2016.

Preeti Jhangiani: Of of the three girls who debuted in ‘Mohabbatein’, Jhangiani held the most promise after winning hearts on the small screen in the music video, ‘Chui Mui’. She did a number of Bollywood films in a decade-long career, including ‘LOC Kargil’, ‘Aan: Men at Work’ and ‘Baaz: A Bird in Danger’, but none brought here success. Her career path also took her down south but by 2011 even those petered out.

Tulip Joshi: Another actress who was launched by Yash Raj Films was Tulip Joshi, who went by the name Sanjana for her debut in ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’. However, she reverted back to Tulip and attempted a few other films including ‘Dil Maange More’, ‘SuperStar’, among others. When those didn’t work, she moved to TV with the show ‘Airlines’ that aired between 2014 and 2015.