Bharat Bhushan was the superstar of the Hindi cinema in the 1950s. Long before Rajesh Khanna earned the title of Bollywood superstar and Dilip Kumar’s romantic hero image, Bharat Bhushan had carved his name in the history of Indian cinema. He worked in over 30 films in his career and delivered several hit films like Baiju Bawra (1952), Anand Math (1952), Mirza Ghalib (1954) and Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh (1960), among others.
He was one of the richest actors in Hindi cinema, but lost all of his fortune and died in poverty. Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Bharat came to Mumbai to try his luck in acting after completing his studies in Aligarh. He made his acting debut with Chitralekha in 1941 and worked with all the popular actresses of that time. Despite such fame, what led to Bharat Bhushan’s downfall? Let us read on to know.
Bharat Bhushan went bankrupt
After the success of Baiju Bawra, Bharat Bhushan entered into production along with his brother and incurred a huge loss. On the other hand, with the emergence of actors like Shashi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra, Bharat’s career ended. Soon, one of the richest actors, Bharat lost all his money and went bankrupt.
Bharat Bhushan went to live in a chawl
To sustain themself in the film industry and to meet his financial needs, Bharat Bhushan took up the role of junior artist, too. He once owned several bungalows in Mumbai and travelled in luxurious cars, however, the actor lost everything and went to live in a chawl. According to a report published in the Times of India, Bharat Bhushan lost a lot of money and properties in gambling, too. Bharat was the owner of the popular bungalow, Aashirwad, which he sold to Rajendra Kumar, who in turn sold it to Rajesh Khanna.
Amitabh Bachchan once saw Bharat Bhushan standing in a queue at a bus stop
In 2008, Amitabh Bachchan shared an emotional blog about his strange encounter with Bharat Bhushan, the leading actor of the 1950s. He noticed the yesteryear actor standing in a queue waiting at a bus stop, completely unnoticed and alone. Amitabh Bachchan also mentioned that although he wanted to stop his car and offer him a lift, but couldn’t muster the courage. Penning his emotions, he wrote:
“As I drove by Santa Cruz one morning for work I saw Bharat Bhushan, the great romantic heartthrob of the 50s, hero of some of the most successful musicals of the times, standing in a queue at a bus stop! An ordinary citizen. Part of the crowd. Alone, unnoticed. No one recognizing him. No one knowing who he was.”
In the blog post, Amitabh Bachchan also mentioned that he did not stop the car for fear of causing embarrassment to the veteran actor. The incident left a deep impact on Amitabh Bachchan, who realised how fragile fame is. Continuing his blog, Mr Bachchan wrote:
“I wanted to stop and ask him into the car to drop him to his destination, but I could not muster enough courage. I feared I would embarrass him. And I drove on. But that visual has remained with me and will remain with me forever. It could happen to anyone. To any one of us.”
In 1992, Bharat Bhushan bid adieu to the world and died in an impoverished state.
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