10 Bollywood Actors Who Retired Suddenly

At 46, Quentin Tarantino said he would quit Hollywood at the age of 60 after he directs his 10th movie, reasoning he wouldn't want to linger on past his prime.

He's 61 now and still deciding on the script of his much-hyped grand finale.

Academy-award winner Daniel Day Lewis announced he would hang his boots in 2017 only to make an exception, seven years later for son Ronan's direction, Anemone.

Back home, Vikrant Massey is grabbing headlines by his sudden decision to retire from films.

'Coming 2025, we would meet each other for one last time,' he penned in a note on his social media account.

Given his recent spate of successes and acclaim in solo leads, one would have thought the 12th Fail star would want to make the most of it.

Instead, he's keen to shift the focus on his family life.

Sukanya Verma looks at instances of Bollywood stars prematurely bidding adieu to Bollywood.   

Vinod Khanna

Once considered the only threat to Amitabh Bachchan's superstardom, Vinod Khanna quit acting at the peak of his career and devoted himself to spiritual guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, better known as Osho, by residing at his ashram in America. It sent shock waves across the film industry as well as his fans and family.

A little less than a decade later, he returned and reclaimed his popularity in an action-packed avatar.

 

Parveen Babi

Bollywood could never wrap its head around Parveen Babi's bohemian spirit and adventurous impulses.

Often, she'd jet set out of the country in pursuit of love and liberation, seeking spiritual mentor U G Krishnamurti's guidance, leaving her thriving career high and dry.

Like VK, sometime in the '80s, Babi famously went AWOL. While everybody speculated the reason for her absence, she emerged from her self-imposed exile and stories of mental health issues looking nothing like her former self.

 

Zaira Wasim

One of the brightest child actors on the Hindi film scene, Zaira Wasim catapulted to instant fame with her impressive turn in Dangal, Secret Superstar and The Sky is Pink only to announce in 2019 that she's done being an actress, as it doesn't bode well with her religious beliefs.

 

Vyjayanthimala

As Bollywood's reigning dancing queen for over decade, a 33-year-old Vyajanthimala put her heart and soul to play the royal dancer-turned-passionate patriot in and as Amrapali (1966).

But the film's disappointing response broke her heart and strengthened her resolve to stay away from the limelight ever since.

 

Sadhana

'I don't hanker for the spotlight. I want my fans to remember me as the Sadhana of Love In Simla, Mere Mehboob, Woh Kaun Thi and Arzoo,' is what Sadhana told Rediff.com three years before her death in 2015.

Known for her angelic face and adorable fringe, the yesteryear beauty's severe thyroid issues prompted her to retire early from the silver screen.

 

Nargis

It was standard practice among Bollywood heroines to call it quits once they tied the knot to focus on a happily married life.

Despite her legendary status, Nargis wasn't lured by the temptation of stardom.

Post her marriage to Mother India co-star Sunil Dutt, the actress found her attention divided between raising her three kids and philanthropic causes.

 

Mumtaz

From her humble beginnings as a teenager to top star in her late 20s, Mumtaz had won hearts and acclaim in a short, surreal span.

But Bollywood's ebullient charmer dumped it all while at the peak of her game to marry businessman Mayur Madhwani.

Sixteen years later, she would be tempted to face the cameras again for David Dhawan's 1990 disaster, Aandhiyan only to vow never again.

 

Kumar Gaurav

One of the most prominent star kids to be launched by their super successful fathers, Kumar Gaurav's short-lived status as Bollywood heartthrob continues to be stuff of legends and cautionary tales.

Rajendra Kumar's darling beta turned into an overnight star with the blockbuster romance, Love Story.

But a series of poorly picked scripts proved to be the reason for his career's premature demise and, later, bye-bye to movies.

Barring a one-off appearance in Sanjay Gupta's ensemble crime caper, Kaante, Kumar Gaurav has preferred to focus on his non-filmi business.

 

Amitabh Bachchan

Work and THE Big B go hand in hand. At 82, he's, inarguably, the most active celebrity around.

Except there was a brief time in his career when Amitabh Bachchan retired from acting following the back-to-back debacle of his movies like Toofan and Jaadugar to slow down and enjoy the fruits of a long-neglected family life.

After a five-year sabbatical, the man was back on his feet and hasn't looked back since.

 

Suniel Shetty

The entrepreneur-turned-action star started out as Bollywood's go-to beefcake for brawny, clobbering hero parts.

Back in the 1990s, things started out favourably only to fizzle out prompting him to announce his retirement.

But then J P Dutta's Border came out, in which his performance was appreciated by even his staunchest critics, and Shetty decided to keep at it.

A decade later, he resumed his retirement plans in a bid to spend more time with his growing children.

Though he's far from out of circulation, Anna's occasional turns on small screen and big acts are fond treats for his loyal fan following.