Once Bollywood 'Hot'Shots: Where Are They

Yesteryears actor Om Shivpuri's daughter, Ritu Shivpuri, started her career in a Govinda-Chunkey Pandey starrer 'Aankhen'. It was a blockbuster hit. But it didn't seem to help Ritu much. Later in the news for alleged 'link ups' with Kamal Sadanah and Fardeen Khan, she decided that enough was enough. That's when the sexy siren decided to 'retire' from Bollywood only to settle down with a businessman husband. Her mother, veteran actress Sudha Shivpuri, plays the role of 'Ba' in the super hit TV soap 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'. Ritu is now actively involved in jewellery designing.

Kumar Gaurav
Kumar Gaurav, son of the 'Jubilee' hit hero of yore, Rajendra Kumar, shot to fame in 1981 as a teenybopper romantic hero of the super hit 'Love Story' . Critics and fans predicted a great future ahead for the chocolate hero. But things didn't go well for him. Even meaningful roles in films like 'Janam' and ' Naam' could not resuscitate his falling career and soon he retired from Bollywood. He started a production company called Colossus that produces music videos. The company was started with his 'gym- buddies' Sameer Hafiz, Lovel Arora and Ajay Arora. They have produced videos for Anaida, Daler Mehndi, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abhijeet. He was last seen in multi starrer Kaante in 2002.

Mamta Kulkarni
Mamta Kulkarni created an uproar and garnered instant fame when she appeared topless on the cover of a film glossy in 1993. She was more in news more for her sexy pictures and oomph appeal than her films. In fact in a career spanning almost ten years, the only films from her repertoire worth mentioning are 'Baazi' and 'Karan Arjun'. She is currently settled in New York (after her mother, whom she was very close to, passed away) with her NRI husband. She has plans of making a special appearance in her sister Priya Kulkarni's (who happens to be a singer) music video. And she is as pretty and petite as ever.

Neelam
The girl who brought cutie-pie style and grace to the tacky 80s, Neelam, made a hit pair with Govinda in her earlier films. Gradually the offers petered out and in the 90s she was reduced to doing supporting roles instead of leads. It is said that Govinda was once completely smitten by the cute actress and had pursued her endlessly to marry him but Neelam did not give in. She was also 'allegedly' linked up with Bobby Deol. Neelam decided to bid adieu to the big screen and got married to the multimillionaire from Hamstead London, Rishi Sethia. Unfortunately for the lovely actress, things didn't work with the family. The talented Neelam got back into action, this time with jewellery designing, which is a popular favourite with the cream of Bollywood, namely Karan Johar, Shah Rukh, Salman and gang.

Rahul Roy

In 1990, a young teacher-turned-actor rocked the year with his long locks that sent the young and the restless running to their hair stylists. The film was 'Aashiqui' directed by Mahesh Bhatt and the man in question, Rahul Roy. Rahul's career should have taken an upward swing, but thanks to films like 'Pyaar Ka Saaya' (a 'Ghost'ly remake) and 'Baarish', both with Sheeba, it plummeted him into the pits. His mentor Mahesh Bhatt tried to revive his career with films like 'Junoon' and 'Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee'; with Pooja Bhatt but after a fallout even that door was shut. He continued with some pretty trashy films and then turned to TV. He resurfaced in Sahara's 'Karishma - Miracle Of Destiny' as a plastic surgeon in love with Sheeba (yet again). Later, he was reduced to doing serials on Doordarshan and even considering Marathi films. His 'mentor' Sudhakar Bokade tried to launch him as a director with 'Mera Joota Hai Japani', but the film didn't take off due to financial problems. Rahul then planned a film based on Sean Penn's award winning role in 'I Am Sam', with Manoj Bajpai in the lead about a mentally challenged father bringing up his daughter with the help of his friends. We hear that even this ambitious project is shelved. He also runs a company that trades in steel scrap; and plans to get start a media broking company, dealing in LCD projection screens.

Kimi Katkar

The 'Jumma Chumma' girl Kimi Katkar was a successful model before she turned to films and her first role that got her attention (in her wet white dress) was in the Indian version of 'Tarzan' with rubber crocodiles, plastic snakes and stuffed lions, and a stuffy Tarzan. She then did some really insignificant roles in B grade films. Her next break came when she was cast opposite an ageing angry young persona of Amitabh Bachchan as Jumma in 'Hum'. The song jumma chumma was a huge hit but even that didn't do much for her career. After doing some more singing-dancing routine in Govinda films, she retired from Bollywood. She got married to the ace photographer and ad-filmmaker Shantanu Sheorey. It was reported some time back that the former actress had agreed to do a lifestyle cum food show on the small screen co-hosted by Karen Anand.