Bollywood is not any stranger to glitz, glamour, and gossip. Behind the shining curtain of movie premieres and award shows lies a darker thing — one wherein scandals, feuds, and crook problems can bring thriving careers to a screeching halt. While some stars get better more potent, others are all the time scarred through the controversies they get stuck in.
In an industry in which photo is the whole thing, a unmarried misstep can price endorsements, film gives, and fan loyalty. Over the years, many Bollywood careers have been tarnished or absolutely derailed because of controversy — some self-inflicted, others a consequence of larger societal forces.
Here’s a deep dive into the maximum infamous controversies that ruined or extensively affected Bollywood careers — and the cautionary memories they go away at the back of.
1. Vivek Oberoi – The Salman Khan Fallout
At the start of the 2000s, Vivek Oberoi become touted as Bollywood’s next large factor. His performances in Company and Saathiya earned him essential acclaim and a robust fanbase. But everything modified in 2003 while he held a now-notorious press conference accusing Salman Khan of threatening him over his relationship with Aishwarya Rai.
Though Vivek notion he changed into fame up for himself, the move backfired. He confronted expert isolation, lost roles, and his profession in no way regained its initial momentum. In a Salman-ruled industry, alienating the “Bhai” proved fatal. Despite some today's appearances (PM Narendra Modi, Inside Edge), Vivek has never without a doubt reclaimed his important guy fame.
2. Kangana Ranaut – From Queen to Quarrels
Kangana Ranaut’s rise to stardom modified into marked thru sheer skills. Films like Queen, Tanu Weds Manu, and Manikarnika proved her appearing chops. But her ongoing controversies — in particular her public feud with Hrithik Roshan and frequent Twitter wars with Bollywood bigwigs — steadily overshadowed her craft.
Labeling organization veterans as “nepotism mafia,” calling Mumbai “POK,” and attractive in infinite political remark alienated many inside the industry. While her outspoken character has earned her a faithful fanbase, it has moreover closed doorways with essential production homes. Despite steady media hobby, Kangana's discipline administrative center draw has waned, and severa latest movies (Dhaakad, Tejas) flopped, putting her profession in uncertain territory.
3. MeToo Allegations – Sajid Khan and Nana Patekar
The Indian #MeToo movement in 2018 added numerous powerful guys under scrutiny, with careers either paused or completely damaged.
Sajid Khan
The filmmaker within the again of the Housefull franchise changed into accused with the aid of multiple women of sexual harassment. He became dropped from Housefull 4 and confronted a brief enterprise boycott. Although he once more to truth TV (Bigg Boss), his directorial profession is but to completely get better, and public notion stays horrible.
Nana Patekar
Tanushree Dutta reignited the movement in India by using accusing veteran actor Nana Patekar of harassment on the gadgets of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss (2008). Though he denied the allegations and no formal charges stuck, the damage have become performed. Nana’s casting possibilities shrank dramatically, and he faded from most people eye.
4. Shiney Ahuja – Rape Allegation and Conviction
Shiney Ahuja became one of the maximum promising actors in the mid-2000s, delivering memorable performances in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Gangster, and Life in a... Metro. In 2009, his profession came crashing down while his home assist accused him of rape.
Though the victim later recanted her declaration, Shiney changed into convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail. He served a shortened sentence however the damage to his career grow to be irreversible. Attempts at a comeback, like in Welcome Back (2015), didn't revive his repute. From main guy to outcast, Shiney’s fall became one of the steepest in Bollywood history.
5. Fardeen Khan – Drug Arrest
Fardeen Khan, son of veteran actor Feroz Khan, had a short-lived Bollywood career in the early 2000s. In 2001, he modified into arrested by way of the Narcotics Control Bureau for trying to shop for cocaine in Mumbai. Though he underwent detox and avoided prison time, the arrest stained his reputation.
His film offers commenced drying up, and regardless of being launched with all the trappings of a movie star youngster, Fardeen couldn’t shake off the “drug scandal” tag. He made headlines in 2020 for a dramatic weight transformation, teasing a comeback, but thus far, the large move lower back hasn’t passed off.
6. Mandakini – Underworld Ties
Mandakini rose to reputation with the cult traditional Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), thanks in aspect to her bold scenes. However, her alleged connection with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim stained her image irreparably. Photographs of her with Dawood surfaced inside the '90s, primary to extreme scrutiny and hypothesis.
While she in no way confirmed the relationship, her acting profession quietly diminished soon after. She retreated from the limelight and in the long run chose a spiritual path, becoming a yoga instructor and homeopath. Though now not involved in any crime, the perceived underworld ties price her dearly in Bollywood.
7. Aditya Pancholi – Legal Troubles and Violence Allegations
Aditya Pancholi has prolonged been associated with violent mood issues and alleged abuse. His name resurfaced frequently for the duration of the jail struggle surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput's loss of life, with actress Kangana Ranaut moreover accusing him of abuse all through their alleged courting.
He turned into additionally booked in 2019 for allegedly raping a girl who accused him of exploiting her over severa years. While his profession had already dimmed through manner of then, these allegations ensured that no producer or logo may come near him. From as soon as being a sought-after actor to a pariah within the enterprise, Pancholi’s downfall is marked via scandal and criminal accusations.
8. Madhur Bhandarkar – Pre-release Legal Battles
Acclaimed director Madhur Bhandarkar, acknowledged for realistic films like Page three, Fashion, and Chandni Bar, faced a primary controversy inside the mid-2000s whilst version Preeti Jain accused him of rape. She claimed he promised her a film function in go back for sexual favors.
While Bhandarkar denied the allegations and became ultimately acquitted, the scandal dragged on for nearly a decade and significantly hampered his creative freedom. Though he made a successful return with Fashion, his name stays associated with the communicate, and his responsibilities have seeing that lacked the impact of his early artwork.
9. Mamta Kulkarni – Bollywood to Infamy
Mamta Kulkarni modified into a bold, arguable superstar within the '90s, appeared for her roles in Karan Arjun and Baazi. But after a string of failed films and disputes with manufacturers, she vanished from Bollywood — excellent to reappear in headlines years later for suspected involvement in a drug trafficking racket collectively together with her alleged companion, Vicky Goswami.
The Thane police named her a key accused in a 2000 crore ephedrine drug haul in 2016. Though she denied all prices and claimed to be non secular, her days as a Bollywood actress had been long over. The controversy cemented her fall from grace.
10. Raj Kundra – Pornography Case (Impact on Shilpa Shetty)
While now not an actor himself, businessman Raj Kundra’s arrest in 2021 for allegedly generating and dispensing adult movies deeply impacted spouse and actress Shilpa Shetty’s emblem and career. She faced on line backlash, emblem pullouts, and speculation approximately her involvement.
Though she distanced herself from the speak and once more to fact TV and endorsements, the episode stable a shadow over her picture. It’s a case of guilt via affiliation — a reminder of how speedy public sentiment can flip.
Final Thoughts: The High Cost of Fame
In Bollywood, careers are built not simply on talent, but also on notion. A scandal — whether concerning crime, personal feuds, or public behavior — can wreck years of difficult work. While a few actors, like Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, have bounced once more from controversies with even greater fanfare, others have disappeared from public reminiscence.
