Take for example these actors/directors, who started off on a really promising note but then, well, ended up failing us. Check ’em out.

1. Ram Gopal Varma

From ‘Satya’ to ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’; the downward spiral continues.

There’s the Ram Gopal Varma who’d made ‘Shiva’, ‘Satya’, ‘Rangeela’ & ‘Bhoot’ and the Ram Gopal Varma who made ‘Department’, ‘Darling’ and the cringeworthy ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’. Once the ‘godfather’ of Indian gangster movies, Ram Gopal Varma has been on a downward spiral of late. Not that the man doesn’t have the talent. It’s just that he doesn’t seem to be using it anymore.

“Ram Gopal Varma is…?” Karan Johar had asked Anurag Kashyap on Koffee With Karan.

“Ram Gopal Varma was.” Anurag had replied.

Tragic.

2. Hrithik Roshan

From ‘Kaho Na…Pyaar Hai’ to Kaho Na to films like ‘Kites’.

I know. This is perhaps the most shocking entry to the list. But ask yourself. Has the man been doing justice to his talent and/or his Greek God looks? Great acting skills, amazing dance moves, and a killer body; yet, for some strange reason, he decides to act in multi-starrer films. And then there’s the cringeworthy Krrish series. And who can forget ‘Bang Bang’ & ‘Kites’?

Hope his upcoming ‘Mohenjo-Daro’ brings him back into the game.

3. Gracy Singh

Went from ‘Lagaan’ to ‘Deshdrohi’. Such demotion. Much disappointment.

Gracy Singh got a dream start in Bollywood as ‘Gauri’ in the critically and commercially successful ‘Lagaan’. She followed it up with the acclaimed ‘Munnabhai M.B.B.S’ & ‘Gangaajal’.

However, just when she raised people’s hopes regarding her talent, she decided to star in flops such as ‘Shart’ & then ‘Deshdrohi’ with our very own KRK. She’s kept a low profile ever since.

4. Shreyas Talpade

Went from ‘Iqbal’ to ‘Kamaal, Dhamaal, Malamaal’. Yeh kya kar diya apna haal?

Anybody who’s seen ‘Iqbal’ can vouch for Shreyas Talpade’s acting skills. He went on to do critically acclaimed films such as ‘Dor’, ‘Dil Dosti Etc’. & ‘Welcome To Sajjanpur’. However, films like ‘Joker’, ‘Housefull 2’, ‘Kamaal, Dhamaal, Malamaal’ & ‘Paying Guests’ followed.

We’re still waiting for ‘actor’ Shreyas Talpade to return.

5. Rakesh Roshan

From ‘Karan Arjun’ to ‘Krrish 3’; only a superhero can save his career now.

After directing hits such as ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’, ‘King Uncle’, ‘Karan Arjun’ & ‘Koyla’, Rakesh Roshan was one of the few directors who made a successful transition to the millennium with the path breaking ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hai’. He followed it up with ‘Koi Mil Gaya’.  But since then, he’s been doing nothing but milking the franchise and making films like ‘Krazzy 4’ & ‘Kites’.

So what if the Krrish series looks like a compilation of famous Hollywood scenes? It makes money. *Sighs*

6. Chitrangada Singh

From ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ to ‘Kundi mat khadkao Raja’. A talent wasted.

“You’ve outdone Smita Patil!” renowned filmmaker Shekhar had exclaimed when he first saw Chitrangada Singh in the critically acclaimed ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’.

However, soon after wowing the world with her beauty and acting skills, Chitrangada went on to do duds like ‘Desi Boyz’, ‘Joker’, and ‘I, Me Aur Main’. She was last seen doing an item number in ‘Gabbar is Back’. Such talent. Much wasted.

7. Subhash Ghai

Went from making ‘Khalnayak’ to ‘Kaanchi’. What went wrong, Subhash ji? 

One of the most influential directors in Bollywood, Subhash Ghai has worked with almost every big name in the industry. With films like ‘Hero’, ‘Ram-Lakhan’, ‘Saudagar’, ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Pardes’ & ‘Taal’, he had a body of work most directors would kill for. But then he decided to make duds like ‘Yaadein’, ‘Kisna’, ‘Black & White’ and ‘Yuuvvraaj’.

His last directorial venture was the disaster ‘Kaanchi’ which I’m sure he must’ve taken off his portfolio by now.

8. Akshaye Khanna

Went from ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ to ‘No Problem’. Trust us Akshaye, we have a lot of problems.

Although he had a shaky start with the forgettable ‘Himalay Putra’, Akshaye Khanna soon went on to establish himself as one of the finest actors in Bollywood with films such as ‘Border’, ‘Taal’, ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ & ‘Race’. He also proved he had an excellent comic timing with hits like ‘Hungama’ & ‘Hulchul’.

However, then came the duds ‘Aaja Nachle’, ‘No Problem’, ‘Shortkut’, & ‘Tees Maar Khan’. He has not done any movie in recent times & we miss his presence on the silver screen.

9. Prateik Babbar

Went from ‘Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na’ to starring in ‘Issaq’. Gets no Issaq from the audience anymore.

Even though he had a small role in Imran Khan’s debut film ‘Jaane tu…Ya Jaane Na’, Prateik caught everybody’s attention. The hopes were exceptionally high considering the fact that he was acting legends Raj Babbar and Smita Patil’s son. And while the actor did follow up ‘Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na’ with ‘Dhobi Ghat’, he couldn’t keep up the quality of his work with films like ‘Ekk Deewana Tha’, ‘My Friend Pinto’ & ‘Issaq’ bombing at the box-office.

10. Shiney Ahuja

Went from ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ to relative obscurity. You cannot run away from your ‘Sins’.

Of course the list wouldn’t have been complete without Shiney Ahuja. Starting off on a promising note with films like ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, ‘Life in a …Metro’ & ‘Gangster’, Shiney was on his way to shine bright in Bollywood. But then, his maid accused him of rape.

Needless to say, Shiney’s career suffered and he was reduced to doing small roles in flops such as ‘Welcome Back’. Sad.

11. Vivek Oberoi

Went from doing ‘Company’ to ‘Kismat, Love, Paisa, Dilli’ & lost the pyaar of desh ke ‘Yuva’.

Such was Vivek Oberoi’s talent that he got not one, but two Filmfare awards for his debut film ‘Company’; that of best supporting actor & best debut. He went on to do critically & commercially successful films such as ‘Saathiya’, ‘Yuva’ & ‘Rakht Charitra’.

However, critical acclaim soon gave way to miserable flops such as ‘Kisna’, ‘Kismat, Love, Paisa, Dilli’, ‘Prince’ & ‘Kyun! Ho gaya Na…’.

Hope Yash Raj Films’ upcoming ‘Bank Chor’ does justice to his talent.

(Dis)honourable mention…

12. Shah Rukh Khan

From ‘Chak De! India’ to ‘Dilwale’. Will the ‘actor’ Shah Rukh Khan please stand up?

Before you start hating me for including King Khan in the list, ask yourself a simple question: When was the last time you’d seen Shah Rukh Khan act? Like REALLY act? Not as SRK, but as the character he was portraying. Think Kabir Khan in ‘Chak De! India’ or Mohan Bhargav in ‘Swades’.

Sure his films are box-office success but it’s painful to watch him not realize his full potential on the silver screen. He clearly doesn’t deserve movies like ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Chennai Express’ or ‘Dilwale’.

Hope in his upcoming ventures ‘Raees’ & ‘Fan’, we get to see SRK the actor and not SRK the star.

Remember folks, success isn’t permanent and failure isn’t fatal.