Donald Trump makes BIG proposal to Ukraine over Russia war, asks Zelenskyy, 'Can you hit...'
DNA TV Show: US President Donald Trump gives Putin 50-day deadline to end war with Ukraine
Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani become parents to a baby girl
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance's BIG win as Delhi HC directs e-commerce platforms to...
Satyajit Ray's ancestral home in Dhaka to be demolished by Bangladesh govt? Mamata Banerjee says...
UIDAI shares BIG update on children above 7 with Aadhaar: 'To face risk of...'
Meet woman who started as trainee, will now become CEO of..., won major award at Cannes, she is...
EAM Jaishankar issues BIG statement during first China visit in 5 years: 'The three evils...'
Golden Temple receives bomb threat again, second RDX email in 24 hours, probe underway
Rs 10000000000: Indians losing huge amount of money every month due to...
ITR Filing AY 2025-26: Last date NOT same for all, check your date if you are...
What is non-veg milk? Know its connection with India-US trade talks
India to spend Rs 60000 crore on this fighter jet, cheaper than Rafale, F-35, it is loaded with...
LILPEPE Crypto Price Prediction 2025, 2026 – 2030: Little Pepe Price To Hit $0.50 Soon?
US-India tariff deal soon? THESE are main stumbling blocks, India may face increased tariff of Rs...
Nimisha Priya case: One day before execution, BIG relief for Kerala nurse jailed in Yemen
Axiom-4 Dragon spacecraft lands safely on Earth, PM Modi welcomes Shubhanshu Shukla
After Kiara Advani, Vikrant Massey quits Ranveer Singh-starrer Don 3; here's why: Report
Will India-China relations improve further after S Jaishankar meets Chinese President Xi Jinping?
RCB star bowler Yash Dayal gets BIG relief in sexual exploitation case, Allahabad HC orders...
Producer-actor Dheeraj Kumar passes away at 79
Amaal Mallik says Anu Malik ruined his father Daboo Malik’s career: 'My dad dealt with...'
Elon Musk's Tesla opens first India showroom in Mumbai's BKC: Project took ... days to be completed
SCO Meet: S Jaishankar meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, first since 2020 Galwan clash
BSE receives bomb threat, police launch search operation
Zomato boss Deepinder Goyal ropes in Shah Rukh Khan, Jasprit Bumrah, AR Rahman for..., watch
In 2nd such incident in 2 days, Delhi's St Stephen's College, school in Dwarka receive bomb threats
Storm, heavy rains batter parts of US: What is reason behind New Jersey, New York floods?
Shubhanshu Shukla to return from ISS today: When and where to watch Axiom 4 touchdown live
Haryanvi singer Fazilpuria targeted in roadside firing in Gurugram
Kavya Maran makes BIG change in SRH, appoints this former India speedster as..., he is...
Elon Musk's Grok inks deal worth $200 with Pentagon amid fallout with Donald Trump
UPSC CSE Mains 2025 schedule out, to be held on THESE dates, check full timetable
Amritsar’s Golden Temple receives bomb threat, email says...; police beef up security
Watch Shubhanshu Shukla showcasing stunning zero-gravity experiments on board ISS using...
Who was Fauja Singh, 114-year-old veteran marathon runner, dies in road accident?
BOLLYWOOD
In the exclusive conversation, Deepak Tijori recalled his peak during the early 1990s, when he was signed for Khiladi for being a more selable Akshay Kumar. He also recalls his struggle during Aashiqui.
Deepak Tijori was among the few actors who quickly rose to popularity and stardom in the early 1990s. He got his big break with Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui, and then he starred in consecutive hits like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Sadak, and Khiladi. Though Deepak opted for supporting roles, his character would often be regarded as a scene-stealer. During the early 90s, he was a more popular and prominent star than Akshay Kumar.
DNA India spoke to Deepak about his career and the latest achivement. His recent short film, Echoes of US, earned him his first-ever Best Actor nomination at the Independent Short Awards in Los Angeles, California. During the interview, Deepak reflected on his journey of 35 years in the Bollywood industry, and exclaimed that he is very contained with his career, and has no regrets with it.
When Deepak had to spend his own money to promote himself
Aashiqui was Deepak's big break, but the producers did not promote him. The actor-filmmaker reveals he spent his own money to get featured on the movie's posters. "The movie was heavily promoted through the leads only (Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal). But I have also worked very hard for it. So I went to Mahesh Bhatt and said, 'Bhatt saab mujhe bhi poster mein dal do'. He told me 'beta main toh tere saath hoon, but producer nahi maanta'. When I approached Mukesh Bhatt, he told me, 'main kuch nahi kar sakta. Mujhe T-Series tere liye paise nahi de raha'." Tijori further reveals spending Rs 10000 to get his posters done. "Uss waqt maine jeb se Rs 10000 diye the, taki mere poster chape. Aise time bhi dekha hai."
When Deepak was signed for Khiladi as he was a bigger star than Akshay Kumar
By 1993, Deepak became a star, and at that, he was approached for Khiladi. The producer wanted a popular actor besides Akshay, who was comparatively a newbie. Ask Deepak about the same, and he asserts, "Yes, this is true. Uss waqt meri filmein chal gayi thi, aur Akki abhi established nahi hua tha." Deepak acknowledges producers of Akshay-starrer for equally promoting him, and didn't make him feel less than a lead hero.
Watch Deepak Tijori in Khiladi
Why Deepak Tijori's career failed by the mid-90s
Reflecting on the decline of his career, Deepak adds, "Bollywood mein, sadly, log box office ko zyada weightage dete hai. After Pehla Nasha tanked, people thought 'Deepak won't sell as a solo hero'. Thus, the makers kept offering me supporting leads, and I also became selective, as many of the roles were uninteresting. Then I ventured into filmmaking, and now I'm returning to acting again, because now I feel that I can get good roles, of my age."