Stardom, like everything else in life does come with its cons. Big risks and investments can often backfire, but these stars didn’t let setbacks stand in their way for long. Here are a few actors who took their misfortunes in a stride and recovered from them.
1. Amitabh Bachchan
In a post Big B once shared that, “In the year 2000, when the entire world was celebrating the new century, I was celebrating my disastrous fortune. There were no films, no money and no company.” Established in 1996, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) found itself in a financial mess in 1999 and approached BIFR (Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction) to be rated as a sick company. The star was officially bankrupt and all his properties were mortgaged. He had a debt of Rs 90 Crore and had no films to back him up, despite him being a big name in the industry. When he told Yash Chopra about the same, he was offered Mohabattein, which alongside Kaun Banega Crorepati, got Amitabh back on his feet.
2. Shah Rukh Khan
SRK put everything he had into making Ra.One, a 150 crore film produced by his wife, Gauri Khan. However, when the movie failed at the box office, the actor wasn’t left with much. Reportedly, he even signed blank cheques during the production of this film. However, Don 2 and Jab Tak Hai Jaan proved that the actor was still very much relevant and helped him financially.
3. Preity Zinta
The actor’s production debut film and her comeback into the industry, Ishkq in Paris did not do well on-screen, and left her in a bad state financially. It was reported that even the crew of the film was not paid. The actor’s close friend and co-star in many hits, Salman Khan stepped in and helped Preity out of this situation.
4. Raj Kapoor
The iconic movie that has gained international praise, Mera Naam Joker failed at the box office and left Raj Kapoor bankrupt. He had mortgaged all his assets and studio for the film, shared Rishi Kapoor in an interview. “We were in severe problems. Then he made a film called Bobby with new boy and new girl, which was a huge risk after seeing the failure of Mera Naam Joker. But it became super hit and that is when his friends and my uncles insisted him to buy a house,” he said.
5. Govinda
After being a successful actor for years, Govinda’s reign came to an end in Bollywood, and he saw no offers for 3-4 years. The actor found himself in debt and even broke down in front of the press. However, it was his comeback film with Salman Khan, Partner that helped him financially.
6. Shilpa Shetty
The actor admitted in front of the media that she was unable to complete the video shoot for her IPL team, Rajasthan Royals because she wasn’t financially sound and was short on money. However, things seem to have gotten better for the actor since then.
7. Jackie Shroff
This actor revealed that he had taken a loan from filmmaker, Sajid Nadiadwala in 2008 and couldn’t repay it in time because he didn’t have money after a series of flops. It was also reported that he sold his real estate properties to deal with the financial crisis. Once again, Salman Khan came to his rescue and helped the actor out fo his financial crisis.
These actors worked hard to get back on their feet.