The early 90s was a period of transition for Indian cinema. As established superstars in most major industries were ageing, young blood was being cast to fill the place. Among these youngsters was a teenager, who made his entry as a ‘hero’ at the young age of 15. He became a star immediately and was talked of as the ‘next big thing’. Yet, by the age of 26, his best as an actor was behind him.
The actor who became a star at 15
Harish Kumar began his acting career as a child artist in the late 70s. Working predominantly in Telugu films, Harish also appeared in a handful of Hindi and Kannada films over the next eight years. In 1988, he transitioned to lead actor roles at 13. After a couple of hits and misses, he found success with the 1990 Telugu hit Prema Khaidi. The following year, the film was remade in Hindi and was again a success. The young pairing of Harish and Karisma Kapoor – both 16 – was also appreciated. Harish then appeared in hits like Tirangaa and College Bullodu.
By this time, he was widely considered one of the most prominent youngsters in both Hindi and Telugu cinema, with some even rating him higher than other newcomers like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. But Harish’s age meant that there were few films in which he played the lead. He almost always played the second lead to bigger stars like Nana Patekar, Govinda, A Nageswara Rao, Chiranjeevi, and Nandamuri Balakrishna. Over the next few years, he appeared in successful films like The Gentleman, Coolie No 1, and Hero No 1.
Harish’s sudden departure from films
In 2001, after the release of the Hindi film Inteqam, Harish bid adieu to films at the age of 26. Many in the film industry were surprised at this decision. Harish did not explain his decision then, which only led to further speculation.
In 2021, Harish told HT City that his exit from films was due to an injury he suffered in an accident as a kid that was left untreated for years. He said, “I suffered a major back injury, which left me bedridden, which also became my reason to leave showbiz. It was a major slipped disc, with issues in my L3 and L5. The situation was so bad that I couldn’t even go to the washroom. I was very careless when I was young, and didn’t even realise when I got this injury, pata hi nahi laga mujhe (I didn’t even know). But I didn’t want to go for any operation.”
Harish added that after he eventually went for treatment, he was bedridden for months, during which time the industry moved on. “Pehle pehle doctor ne do saal ke liye kaam karne ko mana kar diya, uske baad pata hi nahin chala ke kahan kho gaya main (The doctor initially advised me to not work for two years. And after that, I got lost),” he added.
Harish Kumar’s later career and life
The actor attempted a comeback, appearing in films like Naughty @ 40 and Chaar Din Ki Chandni in 2011-12. But the films did not work at the box office. In 2018, he appeared in his final film, Aa Gaya Hero, in which he shared the screen with his frequent 90s’ co-star Govinda. In 2025, he made his OTT debut with the Epic ON show Griha Laxmi. The actor currently lives a quiet life. In his 2021 interview, Harish added that he still lives in India, contrary to reports: “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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