If you are the 80s or 90s kid, then you may remember Kumar Gaurav. Son of Rajendra Kumar, he was one of the most popular lover boys of that time. His debut film Love Story was a roaring success. However, his stardom faded into thin air due to back-to-back flops, all thanks to some really bad decision made by him.
One of the bad decisions that were crucial in his downfall was when he was signed for romantic film Shirin Farhad with producer Dinesh Bansal. Dinesh signed debutant actress Yasmeen Joseph to play the female lead opposite Kumar Gaurav. However, Kumar didn’t like the idea, as he wanted to work with the only established actress. Dinesh and Yasmeen tried to convince him with multiple attempts, but all in vain. Due to this, the movie was shelved.
Yasmeen Joseph was left heartbroken after this incident and she came back to her hometown believing it was the end of her dream career even before it took off. However, fate had different things in mind, as she returned to Mumbai. Then she found out that Raj Kapoor was in search of a North Indian girl for his next big budget film.
Raj Kapoor was a bit hesitant on casting newcomer but agreed after looking at Yasmeen’s talent. This film was Ram Teri Ganga Maili, which went on to become a blockbuster and made Yasmeen a household name. She became popular as Mandakini, the name was given to her by Raj Kapoor.
The year 1985 turned the table for Mandakini, who was the latest sensation and was flooded with several film offers. On the other hand, the popularity of Kumar Gaurav was sinking due to his various flops. In this time, the established actresses didn’t want to work with him either.
During this, Kumar Gaurav thought that only Mandakini can save his career. Therefore, he suggested her name to the producer of his upcoming film. The producer also tried to talk to her saying that Kumar Gaurav was the one who recommended her name. However, the name Kumar Gaurav reminded everything that happened to her earlier.
She agreed to sign the film, but on one condition. The condition was that the producer will have to kick-out Kumar Gaurav. She even added that she could reduce her fee and would work with any newcomer too. The producer agreed to her terms and Kumar Gaurav lost a film he had all hope from. This is how Mandakini ruined KumGaurav’sv’s career and was in no mood to save him for his already sinking career.
