India, Feb. 15 -- In the early 90s, as the superstars of the previous generation - Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, and Rishi Kapoor - stepped away from lead roles, a younger generation filled the void. Even as the three Khans and Akshay Kumar would eventually lead that generation, several others vied for the top spot in the first half of the decade. Among them was a young actor who had a stellar debut, earning the moniker 'the next Rajesh Khanna'. Yet, his meteoric rise was cut short by a dodgy contract.

Prithvi Vazir, simply known as Prithvi, made his film debut in 1992 with Dil Ka Kya Kasoor opposite Divya Bharti. The film was a sleeper hit, and Prithvi was dubbed the next Rajesh Khanna by the media. As he became an overnight star afte...