Chandrachud Singh, who dreamed of becoming an IFS officer, became a Bollywood star due to luck. But an accident, wrong decisions and challenges in the industry changed his career.
The success stories of many stars in Bollywood are famous, but the story of Chandrachud Singh is different from all others. Born in a royal family, Chandrachud once dreamed of joining the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and was preparing for UPSC. Fate took such a turn that he moved from theater to films and became an overnight star in 1996 with films like ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ and ‘Maachis’. However, a serious accident in the year 2000, several incomplete films and wrong career decisions halted the pace of his shining career. Let us know the complete story of his life.
Where was Chandrachud Singh born, what is his relation with Odisha?
Chandrachud Singh was born on 11 October 1968 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh to Army officer, former MLA Baldev Singh and Princess Krishna Kumari Devi of Patna, the former princely state of Odisha. Chandrachud, who always topped in studies, learned Hindustani classical music, played cricket and also made a record in high jump. His dream was not to become an actor, but to become an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) or IAS officer. He had said in an interview to Samar Sarila, “My first goal was to get into IFS and if not, then IAS. I used to meet many civil servants to understand the preparation for UPSC.”
Also read: Bulldozer runs on Bollywood hero’s house, people are shocked to see the condition of the actor in the viral video!
How theater changed Chandrachud Singh’s life?
Chandrachud Singh joined theater while studying at St. Stephen’s College. In the very first year he received the Best Actor Award at Rajpal Memorial. He said, “Creativity was always a part of my life. While playing lead roles in college, I started getting offers for films without going to Mumbai.” His film journey started from here.
The first film was not even released, then how did you get the big break?
In 1988, he worked as an assistant with Mahesh Bhatt. After this he got the film ‘Jab Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ with Suchitra Krishnamurthy, but the film was stopped after about 60 percent shooting. He said, “I never chose films as a career. Circumstances brought me to films.” After this many films were closed and he had to return to Delhi and teach children in school.
How ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ and ‘Maachis’ made superstars?
When Chandrachud Singh had got a permanent job in school, he got the offer of ‘Tere Mere Sapne’. During the same time ‘matchbox’ was also found. He said, “I was teaching children in Delhi. As soon as I got a permanent job, I got a call from ‘Tere Mere Sapne’. At the same time, ‘Maachis’ also came and I left the job.” Amitabh Bachchan’s production house’s ‘Tere Mere Sapne’ and Gulzar’s ‘Maachis’ made him an overnight star. He also received the 1997 Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for ‘Maachis’.
Why did comparison with Amitabh Bachchan increase the pressure?
After his brilliant debut in films, the media started comparing Chandrachud Singh with Amitabh Bachchan. On this he said, “Amitabh Bachchan is an institution. He gave me my first break. It was a huge pressure for me to be compared to him after just one film. I don’t even consider myself anywhere near Amit ji.” Chandrachud Singh believes that he had to face the disadvantages of being an outsider in the industry. According to Singh, “I never got solo hero films. Maybe because I was not from a film family. It is very difficult for an outsider to establish himself in the industry.”
Which accident destroyed Chandrachud Singh’s career?
In the year 2000, during the shooting of ‘Josh’ in Goa, Chandrachud Singh had a serious accident in the sea on his holiday. Chandrachud Singh said, “I met with an accident about two kilometers into the sea. My shoulder was dislocated so badly that my arm was almost separated from the body.” Due to surgery, long physiotherapy and constant pain, his shooting came to a halt. He could not exercise and his weight also increased.
However, Chandrachud Singh believes that not only the accident but many other reasons affected his career. He said, “It was a combination of many things. Success, failure, wrong decisions… all of them had an impact.” He further admitted, “I took some wrong decisions. Success distances a person from reality as much as failure does.”
What was Chandrachud Singh doing after staying away from films?
During his stay away from films, he took up the hobby of cooking and also hosted a TV show named ‘Royal Rasoi’ in 2012. After this, he returned to the digital world in 2020 with the web series ‘Arya’. After this, he was also seen in projects like ‘Kathputli’ and ‘Bayan’.
Regarding his life, Chandrachud Singh says, “If I had not become an actor, I would have definitely become a teacher.” He believes that he never tried to run after stardom and even today he has no regrets about his decisions.