It’s a common belief that you need talent, good looks, and a big launch pad to make it big in the industry. But is it 100% true? Not really! Luck is another big factor, and if that’s not on your side, you may still have a hard time getting what you deserve.
The story of Mukul Dev is similar. He made a promising entry into Bollywood, had talent and good looks going by his side, and was featured in several big films along with the biggest Bollywood stars. But lady luck was not on his side, and he couldn’t make it big.
Mukul Dev’s journey in Bollywood
It was the year 1996! Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Govinda, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn were the top names in the industry. But ace filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt decided to cast a new face, Mukul Dev, in the lead for his film Dastak. The film also had Sharad Kapoor in the lead and launched Miss Universe Sushmita Sen as heroine. However, the film couldn’t create the desired magic and proved to be a disappointment.
Mukul Dev made a strong impression in the industry. In the same year, he also made his TV debut with Mumkin. In 1998, he starred in Nana Patekar and Madhuri Dixit’s Wajood and Mithun Chakraborty’s Himmatwala, among others. It was the year he enjoyed working on multiple projects.
The actor continued to get roles in big films like Kohram, Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, De Taali, and more, but gradually, he shifted to doing side roles. Also, the number of films he did dropped considerably. This happened because he was also working in TV serials and regional films, which didn’t let him create an aura of a big Hindi movie star around him.
In 2011, he featured in Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Dharmendra’s Yamla Pagla Deewana. His character and performance worked big time with the audience and got him immense appreciation. But he also got typecast and later went on to do similar characters in Ajay Devgn’s Son of Sardaar and Shahid Kapoor’s R… Rajkumar.
Even after that, he made major Bollywood films like Creature 3D and Salman Khan led Jai Ho, but he slowly shifted more towards regional cinema. His last major Hindi film was Bhaag Johnny, starring Kunal Kemmu, back in 2015.
Mukul Dev’s TV and regional film career
The actor has been a part of several popular TV serials in his career, like Gharwali Uparwali, Kutumb, Fear Factor India, Ssshhhh…Phir Koi Hai,
Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan and more. Apart from that, he featured in several major Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Gujarati films, which helped him continue living his dream of acting.
With a web series, State Of Siege: 26/11, in 2020, he made his OTT debut, but he couldn’t reach his potential to become a Bollywood star.
