Actor Who Surpassed Shah Rukh and Akshay Kumar in Fame at 15 Faced Career-Ending Accident, Now Lives Quietly

Actor Who Surpassed Shah Rukh and Akshay Kumar in Fame at 15 Faced Career-Ending Accident, Now Lives Quietly

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The early 90s marked a transformative era for Indian cinema. With established superstars in nearly all major industries growing older, fresh talent was being introduced to take their spots. Among these newcomers was a teenager who debuted as a 'hero' at the tender age of 15. He quickly rose to stardom and was referred to as the 'next big thing'. However, by the time he turned 26, his prime as an actor was already behind him.

The actor who shot to fame at 15

Harish Kumar started his acting journey as a child artist in the late 1970s. Primarily working in Telugu cinema, Harish also featured in a few Hindi and Kannada films during the next eight years. In 1988, at the age of 13, he moved to leading actor roles. After experiencing a few successes and failures, he achieved success with the 1990 Telugu blockbuster Prema Khaidi. The next year, this film was remade in Hindi and was once again successful. The youthful pairing of Harish and Karisma Kapoor – both aged 16 – was also well received. Harish then starred in successful films like Tirangaa and College Bullodu.

Harish Kumar made his Bollywood debut as a lead actor opposite Karisma Kapoor in Prem Qaidi.

By this point, he was broadly regarded as one of the most notable young actors in both Hindi and Telugu cinema, with some even ranking him above other newcomers such as Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. However, Harish's age meant that there were limited films in which he starred as the lead. He typically portrayed the second lead alongside larger stars like Nana Patekar, Govinda, A Nageswara Rao, Chiranjeevi, and Nandamuri Balakrishna. In the following years, he featured in successful films such as The Gentleman, Coolie No 1, and Hero No 1.

Harish's profile by the Hindustan Times in 1995.

Harish's unexpected exit from the film industry

In 2001, following the release of the Hindi movie Inteqam, Harish said goodbye to films at the age of 26. Many within the film industry were taken aback by this choice. Harish did not provide an explanation for his decision at that time, which only fueled more speculation.

In 2021, Harish informed HT City that his departure from films was a result of an injury he sustained in a childhood accident that went untreated for many years. He stated, “I experienced a significant back injury, which rendered me bedridden, and that became my reason to exit showbiz. It was a severe slipped disc, with complications in my L3 and L5. The condition was so severe that I couldn’t even use the washroom. I was very reckless when I was younger, and didn’t even notice when I incurred this injury, pata hi nahi laga mujhe (I didn’t even know). However, I didn’t want to undergo any surgery. ”

Harish and Govinda worked together in several hits in the 90s.

Harish mentioned that once he finally sought treatment, he was confined to bed for several months, a period during which the industry progressed. “Initially, the doctor prohibited me from working for two years, and after that, I had no idea where I disappeared to,” he added.

Harish Kumar's career and life in later years

The actor made an effort to return to the industry, featuring in films such as Naughty @ 40 and Chaar Din Ki Chandni during 2011-12. However, the films did not succeed at the box office. In 2018, he starred in his last movie, Aa Gaya Hero, where he appeared alongside his regular 90s' co-star Govinda. In 2025, he debuted on OTT with the Epic ON series Griha Laxmi. The actor now leads a serene lifestyle. In his 2021 interview, Harish mentioned that he still resides in India, despite reports to the contrary: “I am very much in India, sometimes in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. But why I left showbiz is a very personal reason, which I don’t like to talk about much. ”

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