The Bollywood Chronicles: The Sumans and the Trials of Tinsel Town
Well hello there, Bollywood aficionados! It’s your favorite gossipmonger, Nisha, back with another tantalizing tale from the land of dreams and drama. Today, we’re diving into the fascinating journey of Shekhar Suman and his son, Adhyayan Suman. Buckle up, because this story has more twists than a masala movie!
Let’s rewind to 1984. A younger (and might I add, much leaner) Shekhar Suman first graced the silver screen alongside the timeless beauty, Rekha, in Shashi Kapoor’s celluloid spectacle, ‘Utsav’. Fast forward to the present, and he’s basking in the glory of his latest venture, the TV series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’. Our man Shekhar has come a long way, hasn’t he?
Directed by the maestro Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shekhar played the role of Khan Bahadur Zulfikar Ahmed, the patron saint of Mallikajaan in ‘Heeramandi’. But the cherry on top? His son, Adhyayan Suman, also featured in the series. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it seems!
Adhyayan’s road to recognition wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, though. He kickstarted his career with ‘Haal-e-Dil’ in 2008, but it took him a whopping 16 years to make a mark. In ‘Heeramandi’, he finally got the opportunity to shine as Zoravar Ali Khan. It’s been a long time coming, but as they say, slow and steady wins the race!
In a candid chat with Bollywood Hungama, Shekhar reflected on his son’s cinematic journey, drawing parallels with the megastar, Amitabh Bachchan. He recollected an interview where Bachchan saab shared his early struggles, when he was disdainfully referred to as a "constipated actor" after a string of box office disasters.
Shekhar fondly remembered how Bachchan saab spoke of his initial years when 13-14-15 of his movies flopped consecutively. And would you believe it, some directors had the audacity to call him ‘that constipated actor’ behind his back! The audacity!
But the icing on the cake? He was even asked to vacate the set by some producers! Apparently, Shashi Kapoor spilled the beans on this little secret. But as karma would have it, those very producers would later beg to work with him. Talk about a classic Bollywood-style twist!
Shekhar also reminisced about how Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic baritone was once rejected by All India Radio. Imagine that! And yet, he emerged as one of the biggest stars in the Hindi film industry. Now, if that’s not a lesson in perseverance, I don’t know what is!
Adhyayan too had a rollercoaster ride in Bollywood. After his debut, he landed a significant role in ‘Raaz: The Mystery Continues’, which was quite a hit. But then, a string of flops followed. However, Adhyayan made a comeback in 2020 with the web series ‘Ashram’, starring alongside Bobby Deol.
And let’s not forget, Adhyayan made headlines when he publicly spoke against his ex-girlfriend Kangana Ranaut. But that’s a story for another day!
So, what’s the moral of the story? Well, in the melodramatic world of Bollywood, the only constipated thing is the attitude of some directors! And remember, just like a Bollywood plot, life too can be full of twists and turns. So, keep your popcorn ready, and enjoy the show!
Until next time, this is Bollywood Newshound Nisha, signing off. Stay tuned for more juicy Bollywood tidbits!
