Nostalgic Nuggets: Bharat Bhushan turns 100!

Bharat Bhushan Bhalla (1920-1992), popularly known as Bharat Bhushan was one of those stars of Hindi cinema who took the musical route to fame. Film historians have hailed him as one of the legendary stars who graced Bombay moviedom in the 1950s, with his ' Baiju Bawra' attaining an immortal status, since its release in October 1952. A musical mega success, it ran for 100 weeks. This, after the theme of the film was dismissed as 'lacking in commercial appeal'.

His is a classic case of having won all and lost it all in the glamour world of celluloid. In those days, Bharat Bhushan, after his debut in 1941 struggled for a decade before the 1952 blockbuster saved him. A chocolate-faced lover boy, he was a big hit and possessed a great musical sense.

Yet, the unsure nature of the cinema industry where none could predict what would work for the audience, Bhushan continued till the 1990s as many of his productions failed to appeal. After combating severe financial crisis, he died in 1992 but holds his slot as a legend forever in Hindi cinema with close to 80 films under his belt.