RAJENDRA KUMAR (20 July 1929 – 12 July 1999)
He was known as "Jubilee Star" of Bollywood.Starting his career in 1950, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was considered as one of the most successful Indian Bollywood actors in the 1960s.
In an interview Rajendra Kumar said"when we came to Bombay, I decided to try my luck in the film industry. I never wanted to be a hero, so I became an assistant to director H.S. Rawail. For five years, I worked with him in films like Patanga, Sagai, Pocketmaar..
He made his film debut with a small role in Kidar Sharma's 1950 film Jogan, opposite Dilip Kumar and Nargis. It was producer Devendra Goel who noticed Kumar in Jogan and gave him a break in Vachan in 1955,the film was a hit and was Kumar's first silver jubilee film.
He got further success with his supporting role in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster epic film Mother India in 1957 in which he played Nargis's character's son. His first major success as a romantic leading man was in Amit Saxena's musical Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959), co-starring Ameeta.
He came at a time when Dilip Kumar,Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor were ruling the Bollywood,he esteblished himself and gave one hit film by another hit.There were times when he had six or seven films which had run for more than 25 weeks, all running at the cinema at the same time,
He starred in many box office hits including Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dil Ek Mandir(1963), Mere Mehboob (1963), Sangam (1964), Arzoo (1965), Suraj (1966), Talash and Ganwaar (1970). He received the Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor for Dil Ek Mandir(1963), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Arzoo (1965), and as Best Supporting Actor for Sangam (1964).
After Suraj(1966), the sun began to slowly set on Rajendra's career. Whether it was Aman and Palki [1967], Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan and Saathi [1968] or Shatranj [1969], his films were disappointments.
With the rise of Rajesh Khanna in late 60s and early 70s his position was shaky,he switched to character roles predominantly for Sawan Kumar Tak (Saajan Bina Suhagan, O Bewafa and Saajan Ki Saheli).
In the early 1980s, he successfully launched his son, Gaurav, in Love Story. However, even when Gaurav's career ran a ground, Rajendra continued making films with him even when he lost a small fortune on films like Lovers and Phool.He was the producer of successful film "Naam"(1986) his son Kumar Gaurav and Sanjay Dutt acted in this movie.
Rajendra Kumar "was the quintessential good man who never played politics and was like an elder brother to many newcomers. He provided them food, help, advice as well as a lot
of moral strength.
On July 12, 1999, Rajendra Kumar, an ace at playing a doctor grappling with life-threatening diseases (Dil Ek Mandir, Saathi), finally succumbed to cancer.
He was known as "Jubilee Star" of Bollywood.Starting his career in 1950, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was considered as one of the most successful Indian Bollywood actors in the 1960s.
In an interview Rajendra Kumar said"when we came to Bombay, I decided to try my luck in the film industry. I never wanted to be a hero, so I became an assistant to director H.S. Rawail. For five years, I worked with him in films like Patanga, Sagai, Pocketmaar..
He made his film debut with a small role in Kidar Sharma's 1950 film Jogan, opposite Dilip Kumar and Nargis. It was producer Devendra Goel who noticed Kumar in Jogan and gave him a break in Vachan in 1955,the film was a hit and was Kumar's first silver jubilee film.
He got further success with his supporting role in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster epic film Mother India in 1957 in which he played Nargis's character's son. His first major success as a romantic leading man was in Amit Saxena's musical Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959), co-starring Ameeta.
He came at a time when Dilip Kumar,Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor were ruling the Bollywood,he esteblished himself and gave one hit film by another hit.There were times when he had six or seven films which had run for more than 25 weeks, all running at the cinema at the same time,
He starred in many box office hits including Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dil Ek Mandir(1963), Mere Mehboob (1963), Sangam (1964), Arzoo (1965), Suraj (1966), Talash and Ganwaar (1970). He received the Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor for Dil Ek Mandir(1963), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Arzoo (1965), and as Best Supporting Actor for Sangam (1964).
After Suraj(1966), the sun began to slowly set on Rajendra's career. Whether it was Aman and Palki [1967], Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan and Saathi [1968] or Shatranj [1969], his films were disappointments.
With the rise of Rajesh Khanna in late 60s and early 70s his position was shaky,he switched to character roles predominantly for Sawan Kumar Tak (Saajan Bina Suhagan, O Bewafa and Saajan Ki Saheli).
In the early 1980s, he successfully launched his son, Gaurav, in Love Story. However, even when Gaurav's career ran a ground, Rajendra continued making films with him even when he lost a small fortune on films like Lovers and Phool.He was the producer of successful film "Naam"(1986) his son Kumar Gaurav and Sanjay Dutt acted in this movie.
Rajendra Kumar "was the quintessential good man who never played politics and was like an elder brother to many newcomers. He provided them food, help, advice as well as a lot
of moral strength.
On July 12, 1999, Rajendra Kumar, an ace at playing a doctor grappling with life-threatening diseases (Dil Ek Mandir, Saathi), finally succumbed to cancer.
A rare song of Rajendra Kumar
| Rajendra Kumar's Landmark Films | |||
| Year | Film | Actress | |
| 1957 | Mother India | Kum kum | |
| 1959 | Goonj Uthi Shehnai | Ameeta | |
| 1959 | Dhool Ka Phool | Mala Sinha, Nanda | |
| 1960 | Kanoon | Nanda | |
| 1961 | Sasuraal | Saroja Devi | |
| 1963 | Dil Ek Mandir | Meena Kumari | |
| 1963 | Mere Mehboob | Sadhana, Ameeta | |
| 1964 | Sangam | Vyjayanthimala | |
| 1964 | Ayee Milan Ki Bela | Saira Banu | |
| 1965 | Arzoo | Sadhana | |
| 1966 | Suraj | Vyjayanthimala | |
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