Pooja Dadwal, From Being Salman Khan's Co-Star to Living Penniless Days! List of Indian Actors Who Were Forgotten and Lived in Poverty

The world of cinema is all about glitz and glamour on the surface but deep beneath lies the hard-hitting reality. The hollow stardom and financial instability that leaves once a shining star fade into the darkness. There is no dearth of riches-to-rags stories where big names of Bollywood (Hindi cinema industry) were left penniless. No camera, no action but a long trail of hopelessness ahead of them. Once again, Bollywood is rocked by such a case. We’re talking about Pooja Dadwal, a former actress whose claim to fame has been acting in Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s movie Veergati in actor’s early days in cinema.

Pooja now aged 52 is suffering from serious case of tuberculosis (TB). Poor financial condition makes matters worse for the woman who also acted in films such as Dabdaba and Inteqam. Admitted to Mumbai’s Shivdi hospital, Pooja Dadwal has no one by her side as she makes an appeal to Salman Khan to provide medical aid. Speaking to Bombay Times, the actress said, “I have no money at all, I depend on others for even a cup of tea.” Ironically, Pooja played the role of a millionaire’s daughter in Veergati whose death proved to be a turning point in the life of Salman Khan’s character.

Pooja Dadwal is not a first Indian film actor who is living a life of despair and loneliness. She joins a sorrowful list of celebrities from AK Hangal, Achala Sachdev, Raj Kiran, Satish Kaul and so many more who faced the troubled days after their stardom faded. Reading the fall from grace will make you ponder about the grim reality of dazzling cinema world that epitomises everything positive.

1. Satish Kaul

Kashmiri-born veteran actor, Satish Kaul contributed immensely to Punjabi and Hindi cinema is reportedly living his last days in an old-age home in Ludhiana. The actor who worked in over 300 movies once owned crores and lived in a palatial house is struggling for daily bread and medical aid. Despite his miserable condition reported by media outlets, Satish Kaul is yet to get any support. Interestingly, the legendary actor was given the ‘lifetime achievement’ award for his contribution to Punjabi cinema in 2011 but no one from Punjabi cinema or government stepped forward to help the actor in his present tiring times.

2. Raj Kiran

One of Hindi cinema’s renowned faces in the 1970s and 80s, Raj Kiran is another case of a forgotten star. The man who excelled in the role of supporting characters as well as negative roles has reportedly been in an American mental asylum and fending for himself. In 2011, there were death rumours of Raj Kiran going on after which his Karz co-star and evergreen Bollywood actor, Rishi Kapoor decided to find out about the actor. Rishi in an interview with TOI claimed to meet actor's brother Govind Mehtani who informed him of the actor being alive. However, Raj Kiran was paying for his own treatment in a mental institution in Atlanta. A few years later, there have been reports of Raj Kiran’s family asking Rishi and actress, Deepti Naval, who also was Raj’s Hip Hip Hurray co-star to back off from their family matters. One wonders about the present condition of Raj Kiran.

3. AK Hangal

AK Hangal or Avtar Kishan Hangal or simply, Bollywood’s eternal old man passed away on August 26, 2017, at the age of 97. He was the perennial loving grandfather who was there to love and bless his children. But in his old times, he did not find the same love and care. His 75-year-old son, a former Bollywood cameraman and choreographer and a senior citizen himself could barely earn enough to support the family. With continuous illness bogging him down since 2007, he remained neglected till his condition was reported in 2011. A flurry of promises and support was provided thereafter but it certainly could not erase the nightmarish days he saw in the past.

4. Achala Sachdev

Be it Balraj Sahni’s Zohra Jabeen in Waqt or Kajol’s loving grandma in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Achala Sachdev’s memorable roles were not enough for Bollywood to support her in tough times. Despite featuring in 250 odd films, the senior actress died a lonely death in Pune, the city that witnessed her philanthropist side. After the death of her husband in 2002, Achala Sachdev was left alone. In her final time, she suffered from total paralysis and loss of vision before she passed away in 2012.

5. Meena Kumari

The Tragedy Queen of Indian Cinema passed away battling loneliness with no by her side as she breathed her last. Meena Kumari was all of 38 when she passed away due to liver cirrhosis with no money to buy medicines. The actress with pristine beauty died few weeks after the release of Pakeezah, arguably her best film but she was not alive to see its grand success. Meena Kumari not only brought the emotions of pain, tragedy, suffering and grief on the celluloid but also felt it off the silver screen.

These heart-breaking tales leaves us with a huge question about the vagaries of the stardom. At one point in time, these cinema stars are no less than demigods and as the time passes by, they are not even deemed worthy of living a normal life. Coming back to Pooja Dadwal, the actress has made an appeal to Salman Khan to save her. She was quoted speaking to Bombay Times, “I tried to contact Salman Khan for help, but nothing has been done so far. If he looks at my video then maybe he will try to offer some help. I have been admitted to this hospital for the last 15 days. I have been doing casino management in Goa for the last several years. I have no money at all, I depend on others for even a cup of tea.” We do hope not just Salman but film fraternity comes in support of the neglected actress.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2018 06:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).