Meet actor who once rivalled Amitabh, came out as gay on TV, faced 34 court cases, was forced to break up with superstar

Over the years, many Bollywood stars have been termed heartthrobs. From Hrithik Roshan to John Abraham and recent stars such as Ranveer Singh, the term has been used to describe many. However, one of the first for whom this term was used was an actor who had neither a successful career nor a happy life. Once a star in his own right, this actor had to later resort to doing B-grade films.

The actor whose film saw 34 court cases

Deepak Parashar rose to fame as the first ever Mr India winner in 1976. A famous model, he was the toast of the modelling world, most famously modelling for Vimal Suits in the 1970s. In 1980, he made his Bollywood debut with the hit Insaaf Ka Tarazu, following it up with the even bigger success Nikaah in 1982. However, Nikaah was a controversial film. The social drama was based on divorce in Muslim families and saw 34 court cases against itself upon release. At one point, Deepak Parashar was considered a successor and eve a rival to superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

Deepak Parashar’s break up with Zeenat Aman

Around this time, Deepak was in a relationship with Zeenat Aman, a huge star herself. The two actors were both in controversial films at the beginning of their careers. Deepak braved the backlash to Nikaah while Zeenat faced legal troubles for Satyam Shivam Sundaram. However, even as their relationship was steady, Deepak’s mother was against it. In an interview with the Times of India, the actor revealed that his mother forced him to break up with Zeenat, convincing him that it was bad for his career.

When Deepak Parashar came out on national TV

After a career downturn led by health issues and his wife leaving him, Deepak Parashar returned to acting in the 1990s with B-grade films as well as soap operas. In 2006, he appeared on season 1 of the reality show Bigg Boss, where he claimed he was gay. His shocking revelation on national television made headlines for days. The revelation is said to have shocked his wife and grown-up daughter, claim media reports. Deepak recently made another comeback appearing in the SonyLIV show Raisighani vs Raisinghani.

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