MUMBAI: In the Indian film industry, it is widely believed that luck and timing matter just as much as a strong script.
Even the most carefully crafted projects can fail, and a single box office flop or missed opportunity can drastically alter a career overnight.
The early 1990s saw four new faces enter the Hindi cinema scene: Ajay Devgan, Armaan Kohli, Avinash Wadhawan, and Atul Agnihotri.
Yet only one of them would rise to sustained superstardom, while the others struggled to find lasting success.
Armaan Kohli
Armaan Kohli, the son of noted director Rajkumar Kohli (known for multi-starrers such as Nagin and Jaani Dushman), came from a strong industry background.
He made his debut in 1992 with his father’s film, Virodhi, which unfortunately failed at the box office.
The critical turning point in his career involved the film Deewana.
Armaan Kohli had originally been offered the lead role. However, as Rajkumar Kohli was simultaneously producing Virodhi, he insisted that his son's debut be released first.
The producers of Deewana, Guddu Dhanoa, Raju Kothari, and Lalit Kapoor, refused this condition. Consequently, Armaan was dropped from the project, and the role went to Shah Rukh Khan.
Deewana became a runaway hit and launched Shah Rukh Khan’s journey to superstardom, while Armaan’s own career never fully recovered.
Despite appearing in later films such as Dushman Zamana, Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, he was unable to establish himself in the industry.
Avinash Wadhawan
Next on the list is Avinash Wadhawan, who was regarded as one of the most handsome actors of the 1990s.
At one point, he achieved significant initial stardom, even preceding the breakthrough of Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar.
Encouraged by friends, the Delhi-born Rakesh Wadhawan moved to Mumbai to pursue acting, making his film debut with Pyaar Ho Gaya (1986).
He went on to appear in films such as Insaaf Ki Pukar, Aayi Milan Ki Raat, Junoon, and Geet. Avinash once claimed he had even been offered the hit film Darr.
However, at the height of his career, his personal life derailed him. After marrying model Chaaya in 1990, increasing marital discord led him to abandon several promising projects.
He eventually relocated abroad, and the distance from the production centre permanently halted his career momentum, despite later returning to the country and remarrying.
Atul Agnihotri
The third name is Atul Agnihotri, a relative of several prominent film figures and now widely known as Salman Khan’s brother-in-law.
Atul began promisingly with Sir (1993), earning praise for his performance. He was also noticed in Aatish (1994). Although Krantiveer (1994) was a blockbuster, most of the credit went to Nana Patekar.
Atul worked with Patekar again in Yashwant and Kohram, but his own career as a lead actor never truly took off.
Atul himself admitted that he was not a strong actor and often failed to choose the right films.
His acting career eventually faded, leading him to direction and production. He directed films such as Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha and Hello, both of which struggled commercially.
His only major success came in 2011 with the hit film Bodyguard, starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor.
Ajay Devgan
Finally, Ajay Devgan, son of action choreographer Veeru Devgan, made his entry in 1991 with Phool Aur Kaante.
Released on November 22, the musical romantic action film, directed by Kukku Kohli and featuring music by Nadeem Shravan, became a nationwide sensation, particularly in smaller towns.
The spectacular success of his debut transformed Ajay Devgan into an overnight star.
Ajay Devgan is one of the few 90s actors who not only retained but strengthened his stardom over the subsequent decades.
Following his debut, he delivered several significant hits, including Jigar, Dilwale, Ishq, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Golmaal, Raajneeti, Tanhaji, and Drishyam. He married actress Kajol on February 24, 1999, another accomplished star in her own right.
The simultaneous launch of these four careers in the early 1990s serves as a powerful reminder of the capriciousness of the Indian film industry.
Though all four began with promise, only Ajay Devgan managed to leverage his initial hit into sustained commercial and critical success, ultimately securing a permanent place among the industry’s biggest superstars.
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CREDIT FOR THE NEWS & PICTURES: NEWS 18
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