Princess, who ruined her career soon after debut by forcing producers to cast her husband as the lead opposite her

Actors with a blockbuster debut are expected to have a great and successful career. A blockbuster debut generates widespread recognition, opens ways for more opportunities, creates a fanbase, brings better role opportunities and also increases the chances of career longevity. However, it is not the same for everyone. An actor can ruin his/her career with personal choices despite becoming an overnight sensation. Here we bring the story of a Princess, who ruined her career despite her blockbuster debut, as she forced producers to cast her husband as the lead.

Bhagyashree: The Princess of the Marathi Royal Family

Actress Bhagyashree, who became an overnight sensation with her debut flick Maine Pyar Kiya, opposite Salman Khan, turned 56 on February 23, 2025. Fans are aware that the actress belongs to the Marathi Royal Family in Sangli, Maharashtra. She is the granddaughter of Chintamanrao Dhundirao Patwardhan, the last ruling King of the princely state of Sangli during the British Raj in India. Her father, Vijay Singhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan is the titular King of Sangli. Bhagyashree is the eldest of three daughters of the Royal Family.

Related Story: Bhagyashree 'disliked' herself after working with Salman Khan! Know why

Bhagyashree and Her Career

Bhagyashree kicked off her acting career in 1987 with a TV serial Kachchi Dhoop. Later, she made her silver screen debut with Maine Pyar Kiya, which became commercially successful. Every critic and movie lover was impressed with her raw beauty, innocence, and natural acting. After becoming an overnight sensation, producers lined up at her door to sign her and Bhagyashree got flooded with offers.

Bhagyashree Turned Down Multiple Offers!

However, the 19-year-old actress didn't anticipate such enormous success with her debut flick and didn't even hope for it. Instead, she was head-over-heels in love with her childhood sweetheart. She had known Himalaya Dassani from school. When Himalaya opened up about his feelings to Bhagyashree, she reciprocated his feelings.

While Bhagyashree signed Sooraj Barjatya's film after taking a nod from her childhood sweetheart's parents, Himalaya went to the US for higher studies.

However, despite her career success and a dream-like love story, she couldn't get the blessings of her parents as she eloped with Himalaya and married him in a small temple. Later, they were blessed with their first child in 1990. 

Bhagyashree was ready to quit acting and had turned down multiple offers as her husband and child were central to her. However, the number of producers desperate to sign her was quite long. Thus, she picked up the opportunity and laid her conditions to sign their film.

Bhagyashree Forced Producers To Sign Her Husband as Leading Man!

She laid a peculiar condition in front of the filmmakers, who approached her with offers. She demanded the producers to sign her husband Himalaya as the leading man in the movies. By then Himalaya had returned to Mumbai after completing his academics. Though he had no aspirations of nurturing a career in the film industry, her star wife's status and demand forced the filmmakers to sign him as the leading man. Himalaya Dassani bagged three movies back-to-back in the blink of an eye.

How Bhagyashree's Career Ruined?

Bhagyashree returned to the silver screen in 1992 with three films having Himalaya as her leading man. Qaid Mein Hai Bulbul, Tyagi and Paayal were box office failures as Himalaya was not a star material and was far away from acting. Moreover, he had no screen presence. Following the failures, Bhagyashree realised that she could only force the filmmakers to sign her husband, but the success of a movie depends on audience love which can be earned through talent.

Must Read: Not Bhagyashree, Upasana Singh was first choice for Maine Pyar Kiya, was dropped for Salman Khan!

Though she stepped away from Bollywood, she worked in a couple of regional movies. Despite working in a few Hindi movies in small roles, her presence was ignored by the audience. While Thalaivii (2021) and Radhe Shyam (2022) made her screen presence felt, it was 2023's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ka Jaan where fans celebrated her screen presence. The reason was, Bhagyashree's reunion with Salman and she shared screenspace for the first time with him after over 3 decades. Interestingly, Salman had personally called Himalaya and their son Abhimanyu to make a special appearance in the movie along with Bhagyashree.

Well, though Princess Bhagyashree became an overnight sensation with her debut, her personal choices ruined her career.