03-07-2025
Meet Bollywood's ‘shortest-lived' superstar for who producers fought, once bought jeans for Salman Khan, now forgotten
It is often said that Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan are the last true-blue superstars of Bollywood. While debates continue over who among the newer generation deserves that title, names like Yash, Prabhas, Nagarjuna, and Mammootty from South Indian cinema are widely regarded as pan-India superstars today.
Long before them, alongside Rajesh Khanna—the first superstar of Indian cinema—there was another actor in the 1980s who shot to fame overnight with a blockbuster debut. However, his stardom was short-lived, as he failed to recreate the same magic in his subsequent films, earning him the tag of Bollywood's 'shortest-lived' superstar.
We are talking about actor Kumar Gaurav.
Born as Manoj Tuli in Lucknow, Kumar Gaurav is the son of legendary actor Rajendra Kumar and belongs to Bollywood's Behl family. Director Ramesh Behl and Shyam Behl are his uncles, and his cousins include Ravi Behl, Geeta Behl, and Goldie Behl (married to actress Sonali Bendre).
Kumar Gaurav made a much-hyped Bollywood debut with Love Story in 1981, co-starring Vijayta Pandit. The film was a massive success and turned him into an overnight sensation. Not just the film, but even its songs—especially the iconic Yaad Aa Rahi Hai—remain etched in the hearts of fans even today.
Following the success of Love Story, expectations soared for Kumar Gaurav's next film. He reunited with the same successful trio—composer RD Burman, singer Amit Kumar, and himself—for Teri Kasam, which many felt featured even better music than Love Story. However, despite all the anticipation, the film flopped.
Reflecting on their unsuccessful collaboration, Amit Kumar told journalist Subhash K. Jha, 'People hoped Kumar Gaurav and I would become a team like Rajesh Khanna and my father (Kishore Kumar). But that wasn't meant to be.'
Vijayta Pandit also recalled the frenzy around Gaurav during Love Story, saying, 'I've never seen such hysteria for any actor. He was mobbed wherever we went. Not since Rajesh Khanna had Bollywood seen such madness.'
After Love Story, producers lined up to cast Gaurav. Scripts poured in, and a superstar was born. Fifteen months later came Teri Kasam. But when it failed at the box office, it rattled both Gaurav and his father.
'The adulation was overwhelming,' Gaurav once said, as quoted by Times Now. 'I couldn't leave home without being swarmed by fans. We truly believed audiences would embrace Teri Kasam just as they did Love Story.' Sadly, they didn't.
In an effort to revive his son's career, Rajendra Kumar produced several films, including Star (featuring the hit duo Nazia and Zoheb Hassan), followed by Lovers, Romance, Hum Hain Laajawab, and All Rounder. Unfortunately, none of them succeeded.
In 1986, Mahesh Bhatt's Naam, produced by Rajendra Kumar, gave Gaurav a meaningful role. But it was Sanjay Dutt who walked away with all the praise. In a final attempt, Rajendra brought together his family and friend Sunil Dutt for Phool (1993), but that too couldn't revive Gaurav's stardom.
His decline was steady, and after his final film Kaante (2002), Kumar Gaurav quietly stepped away from the industry. Now 68, he lives a life far removed from showbiz.
In an interview with Subhash K. Jha, he shared, 'I regret nothing. Stardom was a blessing and I'm thankful for it. But I enjoy my peace now.'
Kumar Gaurav's fame extended beyond the screen. Known for his generosity, Salman Khan once recalled on Koffee with Karan how Gaurav supported him during his struggling days. He said Gaurav gave him his new jeans when he had very few clothes.
Gaurav was also a heartthrob among women. Following the success of Love Story, he reportedly dated his co-star Vijayta Pandit. Although they were serious, their relationship ended after Rajendra Kumar allegedly disapproved of Vijayta.
He was later briefly engaged to Raj Kapoor's daughter, Rima Kapoor. The engagement was eventually called off for reasons unknown. While some believe it was because he had fallen in love, others link it to the dating rumours surrounding him at the time.
He later married Namrata Dutt, daughter of Sunil Dutt and Nargis, and sister to actor Sanjay Dutt.
