In the early 1990s, Rahul Roy became an instant star with his first film Aashiqui, winning the hearts of audiences all over India. Many directors thought he could become as big as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, or Aamir Khan. Within 11 days of the film’s release, he received 60 film offers and signed 47 of them, making a quick rise in Bollywood.
But things didn’t go as planned. Rahul shared on The Kapil Sharma Show that Yash Chopra’s 1993 thriller Darr was meant for him, but he couldn’t take the role due to date clashes. The role went to Shah Rukh Khan, who became a superstar. After that, Rahul’s career had ups and downs 25 of his 47 films flopped, including 15 in a row. Movies like Junoon, Sapne Sajan Ke, and Gumrah kept him in the spotlight, but he never reached full superstardom.
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Early Career
Rahul Roy started his acting career with the 1990 hit Aashiqui, produced by Mahesh Bhatt, where he starred alongside newcomer Anu Aggarwal. He later acted opposite Karishma Kapoor in the romantic film Sapne Sajan Ke (1992). He has also been given life membership in the International Film and Television Club of the Asian Academy of Film & Television.
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Roy gave a notable performance in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1993 film Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, which was inspired by Bhatt’s own life. He also acted in Bhatt’s Jaanam, which was director Vikram Bhatt’s first film.
In 2006, Roy participated in the first season of Bigg Boss (India’s version of Celebrity Big Brother) and won. He later became a producer, launching his company Rahul Roy Productions, which released its first film, Elaan, on 25 November 2011 in Bihar.