Kumar Gaurav is an Indian film actor. Though not very successful in the film industry yet his association with his successful father and an equally successful brother-in-law has kept him etched in public mind.
The son of one of Indian film's most successful actors, Rajendra Kumar, it was in Kumar Gaurav's destiny to follow his father's footsteps into Bollywood. Being a star child he did not have much problem breaking into the Bollywood film circuit. In fact it was holding his father's hands that Kumar Gaurav stepped into the Hindi film arena. His debut film titled 'Love Story' proved to the blockbuster of 1981. Rajendra Kumar had made his son's entry into the Indian film industry quite smooth with by producing, directing and even acting in 'Love Story'. The film gave Gaurav immediate stardom but as it would be proved later the success would not last long since Gaurav ended up with a string of flops at the box office. Although his success at the box office ended with his debut film he grew to become a role model for the youth of the time and was subsequently named the "Chocolate Boy of the 80's".
Kumar Gaurav is connected with yet another influential family through his in-laws. He is married to the daughter of legendary actor Sunil Dutt who was also a contemporary of his father. His brother-in-law is Sanjay Dutt who has had quite an eventful film career. Kumar Gaurav tried to revive his career with the film 'Naam' in 1986 which also starred his brother-in-law alongside him. Although the film was a success at the box office yet the chunk of accolades were carried away by Sanjay Dutt. Mention may be made of the 1993 film 'Phool' which also had his father and father-in-law acting alongside him.
His continued failure at the box office made it essential for him to take a long break from acting in the 90's. He broke his self-imposed exile with a role in Deepa Mehta's 1998 film 'Earth'. However his true comeback was with the film 'Kaante' in 2000 wherein he played an interesting character alongside such actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. Kumar Gaurav has even made it to a successful American film called 'Guiana 1838' made by Rohit Jagessar. The film deals with the slavery of Indian immigrants in Guyana, a British colony back in 1838.
Though Kumar Gaurav could not make a significant mark in Bollywood yet his memory is imprinted on people's minds as the 'chocolate boy of the 80's'.However with his latest films he has consciously tried to break that image and improve as an actor as he himself says his best is yet to come.
