2 'Villains' Became Superstars Due to THIS Film; Female Lead Died 6 Months After Release
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One film making or breaking an actor’s career is nothing new in Bollywood and we have seen it time and again. We have seen artists save or destroy their careers with that one role that stands out in a good or bad way. That is what makes the film one to remember, be it fondly or not so fondly.
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A Classic
The film we shall talk about today changed the fate of not one but as many as three artists. The movie was a commercial hit and sadly the female lead died six months after it came out. She was posthumously praised for her role and received a lot of accolades after her death. The two male leads, who were known to play villains, turned into superstars overnight. The film is none other than Mere Apne which was released in 1971.
The Stars
The artists we speak of are Shatrugan Sinha, Vinod Khanna and Meena Kumari. Sadly Meena passed away in 1972. For Vinod and Shatrugan, the door opened for many bigger films in the coming years. They were known at that time to play villainous roles but in the next decade or so, they started to play heroes and carved their own place along with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan in Bollywood stardom.
Box Office Performance
Meena’s death at a young age meant she did not get the full glory of her role as an old widow in the movie. The film did really well and raked in Rs. 1.7 crore. It was a hit at the box office. Danny too had a role as a supporting character. Today he is one of Bollywood’s big names in character and negative roles.
Time Flies
Over 50 years later, the film is all but forgotten. But it does have cult status among genuine Bollywood lovers. If you have seen this film, good on you, if not, no harm in giving it a try. One may like it, one may hate it, it all depends on one’s preference.
Vinod also passed away in 2012. Shatrugan is still around though it has been some time since he acted in films. Both these stars became superstars in the 1970s and 80s and it was Mere Apne that served as the launchpad.