Cinema: Whatever happened to Chandrachur Singh....
As one of the most promising faces of the 1990s makes a comeback, we trace his disappearance and dramatic return
On a recent chat show, Sonam Kapoor randomly compared her fellow guest, Kenny Sebastian, to Chandrachur Singh. For those who grew up in the 1990s, this was a major blast from the past. They remember everything about the dreamy-eyed Maachis (1996) actor. His role as a disillusioned young man, in Gulzar’s fiercely-political movie set in the violent and volatile Punjab of the 1980s, not only won him the best debut Filmfare award but also made him and his costar Jimmy Sheirgill, another newbie, overnight teen sensations. The same year, Singh acted in the romantic comedy Tere Mere Sapne with yet another debutant actor, Arshad Warsi. He then did Dil Kya Kare (1999), Daag: The Fire (1999), Silsila Hai Pyar Ka (1999), and of course Kya Kehna (2000) and Josh (2000) where he played Aishwarya Rai’s lover, crooning Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika.

“I had personal responsibilities, and since the roles I was getting weren’t substantial enough, I decided to give it a break and focus on my family”

“Being with my son was important to me and I don’t regret my decision one bit. Spirituality and music helped me through the tough times.”