Eastern Eye revisits the haunting stories of once-celebrated Hindi cinema stars whose fame, fortune, and adoration vanished — leaving behind lives marked by solitude, struggle, and heartbreak.
Becoming a famous lead in Bollywood hasn’t always led to lifelong fame, money, attention and a lavish lifestyle. There have been famous much-loved movie stars, who had tragic endings, far removed from the extravagant life of their heyday, including dying in solitude. Eastern Eye looked back across the decades to highlight Hindi cinema legends who went on a dramatic downward decline after they were famous.
Motilal
MotilalAMG
At the height of his fame in the 1930s and 1940s, Motilal was a superstar actor who was celebrated for his amazing acting ability. He also dated the most beautiful leading ladies and led a luxurious lifestyle. His considerable fan base included a young Amitabh Bachchan. A love for gambling and partying soon caught up with him. As the frontline work declined, his money ran out and he was soon forgotten by the film industry. He died penniless on June 7, 1965, aged 54.
Geeta Dutt
Geeta DuttAMG
Geeta Dutt was a massively most popular singer during the 1950s and one half of a power couple with superstar actor-director Guru Dutt. That dream life was shattered after her husband had an extra-marital affair and then died of an accidental drugs overdose in 1964, aged just 39. Geeta stopped getting singing work and gradually lost her wealth. She started drinking alcohol and died of liver cirrhosis in 1972, at the age of 41.
Cuckoo
CuckooAMG
The first item girl of Bollywood became a dance sensation and scorched the screen with her sizzling presence. During the 1940s and early 1950s, she charged a record-breaking amount to perform in dance numbers. Such was her wealth that she had a fleet of luxury cars, including one for her pet dog. Then her protégé Helen took over as the number one item girl and leading ladies like Vyjayanthimala performed dance themselves. Cuckoo getting less work combined with income tax issues meant she lost her money. When she died on September 30, 1981, due to cancer, aged 52, the penniless former star had no money for treatment.
Sulochana
Sulochana aka Ruby MyersAMG
The actress, real name Ruby Myers was Bollywood’s first superstar during the silent era in iconic films like
Wildcat of Bombay (1927) and Typist Girl (1926). She became fabulously wealthy and massively in demand. She was derailed by talkies because her Hindi wasn’t great and she couldn’t sing, which was required in the 1930s. Although she learned the language and acted in some remakes of silent classics, Sulochana’s career went on a downward trajectory, and she gradually lost her fortune. Despite receiving Indian cinema’s highest honour, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1973, she died alone in poverty on October 10, 1983, in a tiny apartment.
Bharat Bhushan
Bharat Bhushan AMG
The acclaimed actor rose to fame as a leading man with hit movies like Baiju Bawra (1952), Mirza Ghalib (1954), Phagun (1958) and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). His carved out a niche for himself with sensitive characters, which gained him great fame, wealth and influence within film circles. Bad financial planning combined with his career taking a dramatic downward turn and an ill-fated attempt to produce films saw him lose all his wealth. He had to eventually sell his property and belongings to survive. In 1992, he died poor and forgotten by an industry he once lit up.
Bhagwan Dada
Bhagwan DadaAMG
The celebrated actor hit his peak with 1951 super-hit movie Albela (1951), which he had written, produced, directed, and headlined. The musical comedy gave him immense fame and money. Instead of being smart with his new found wealth, he lived a lavish lifestyle in a luxurious home and ploughed his money into flop films. This led to him to losing his money, influence and standing in the cinema industry. By the time he died in 2002, the 88 year old was living alone in abject poverty, a forgotten man in a tiny room.
Suraiya
SuraiyaAMG
After India gained independence, Suraiya became the biggest star in Bollywood. The striking combination of good looks, acting ability and a singing talent turned her into an all-round superstar. She started dating famous actor Dev Anand, but her family didn’t let her marry him and apparently threw the engagement ring he gave Suraiya into the ocean. She retired from films in 1963 and never married. She lived a reclusive life until her death in 2004. By the time Suraiya passed away on 31 January 31, 2004 (aged 74) the lonely cinema icon had no immediate family members and was largely forgotten.
Parveen Babi
Parveen BabiInstagram/ Parveen_babifan
The successful star of hit films like Deewaar (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Suhaag (1979), Do Aur Do Paanch (1980) and Kaalia (1981) had her life and career derailed by paranoid schizophrenia. This led to her living as a recluse and saying outrageous conspiracy theories. Police suspected she had been dead for three days alone in her apartment, with gangrene of the foot and no food in her
stomach. It was ruled that she had succumbed to organ failure and diabetes, passing away alone, aged 50 in 2005.
Nadira
NadiraAMG
The actress burst into Bollywood with starring roles in record-breaking blockbusters Aan (1952) and Shree 420 (1955). She was one of the first leading ladies to own a Rolls Royce. Despite having a striking screen presence, she was relegated to smaller supporting roles and over time lost her wealth. Most of those related to the Jewish actress moved to Israel. By the time Nadira had passed away in 2006 she was living in a tiny apartment with a housekeeper in anonymity. She had no close friends of relatives by her side.
Nalini Jaywant
Nalini Jaywant AMG
Such was her stature in the 1940s and 1950s, that Bollywood’s icon Dilip Kumar described her "the greatest actress he ever worked with”. She also had a famous relationship with superstar actor Ashok Kumar and was regularly named as one of Hindi cinema’s most beautiful stars. She retired from acting in the early 1960’s after getting married for a second time. But over time she became a recluse and even more so after her husband passed away in 2001. By the time she died on December 22, 2010, aged 84 the once stunning star was living an impoverished life and had been so forgotten that her body wasn’t discovered for three days.
Sadhana
SadhanaAMG
During the 1960s Sadhana was widely regarded as Bollywood’s most beautiful leading lady and she was also the highest paid. The actress lit up the screen in films like Mere Mehboob (1963), Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Rajkumar (1964), Waqt (1965) and Mera Saaya (1966). The style icon’s career at the top prematurely ended due to health issues and that triggered a downward decline. This was exacerbated further after her husband died in 1995. By the time she passed away alone on December 25, 2015, aged 74, she was living a reclusive lifestyle estranged from her family, with very little money and in court cases.
Raj Kiran
Raj KiranAMG
The actor made a name for himself in classic films like Karz (1980) and Arth (1982). He became the go to star to play strong supporting roles that added depth to high profile films. Kiran left Bollywood in the 1990s after he was no longer getting cast and relocated to America with his family. The actor then mysteriously disappeared. Rishi Kapoor attempted to find him without success. It was reported that he was in a mental health facility, but his family denied it and said they were looking for him. Others believed he may have been murdered and the investigation into his whereabouts remains open more than 25 years later.
