Meet actor who wanted to become Ghazal singer, came to Mumbai with just Rs 1500, became Bollywood's top villain, now owns India's third-largest..

Each year, many aspiring actors and actresses come to Mumbai to fulfill their dream of becoming successful in the film industry. However, to make it big on the silver screen, one not only needs luck but also hard work. Many actors, who are considered to be superstars now, once struggled to sustain themselves. Today, we will tell you about one of Bollywood's most famous villains of the 70s and 80s, Danny Denzongpa, who came to Mumbai with nothing but Rs 1500 in his pocket. Danny Denzongpa dreamed of becoming a Ghazal singer, but his luck and hard work made him one of the most dreaded villains of Bollywood.

Danny Denzongpa was born Tshering Phintso Denzongpa in 1948, in Sikkim. It was Amitabh Bachchan's wife and Bollywood veteran superstar Jaya Bachchan who suggested he change his name to Danny Denzongpa so that it was easier for people to remember and pronounce.

Danny Dezongpa was keen on joining the Indian Army, but he withdrew admission from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, and went on to join the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune.

Danny Denzongpa made his debut in films with BR Ishara's Zaroorat in 1971 (released in 1972). But, his breakthrough in the film industry came with Gulzar's Mere Apne (1971), where he surprisingly played a positive role. Danny Dezongpa first played the antagonist in the 1973 film Dhundh. 

Danny Denzongpa was so loved as a villain that from 1984 to the 1990s, he played the lead antagonist opposite all superstars of the time including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Vinod Khanna, Anil Kapoor, and Sunny Deol. 

Even before completing 20 years of his career in films, Danny Denzongpa worked in 190 films. Many times his excellent acting outweighed even the lead actor of the film. 

Danny Denzongpa, after remaining a steady figure in many super hit films, took a break from acting, appearing in only 10 films between 2003 and 2009. He was last seen making a cameo appearance in Amitabh Bachchan starrer Uunchai in 2022. Danny Dezongpa now lives a quiet life, away from the limelight. Though he lives in Mumbai, Danny Dezongpa spends most of his time in Sikkim, his home state, where he also owns a brewery business.

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