In the 1960s, there was a hero who gave almost a dozen films back-to-back, which celebrated silver or golden jubilee in theatres. The fans of so many jubilee hit films have named that actor as Jubilee Kumar. His real name was Rajendra Kumar. Out of 80 films in his career, 35 were such films, which spent 25 to 50 weeks in theatres. Rajendra Kumar was considered a guarantee of success in films. Till the arrival of Rajesh Khanna, Rajendra Kumar was the busiest actor in Hindi cinema.
Rajendra Kumar, who once started his career with a small role as an extra, became the first choice of producer-directors after only a few films. Born in Sialkot, Punjab in undivided India, Rajendra Kumar moved to India with his family after partition. The phase that started with poverty reached such a point of success that the cot on which he used to sleep in the Musafir Khana during the days of struggle, that cot also became famous and people started paying more money to sleep on it.
However, the stars who reached the heights came down to the ground as well and in their last days they also saw very bad times. Rajesh Khanna had to sell his favorite bungalow, after taking which he had given more than two dozen hit films. People used to call it Bhoot Bungalow and no one was ready to buy it. Then Rajendra Kumar bought it, people used to say that this bungalow had changed his luck and when Rajesh Khanna bought that bungalow, his luck also changed. He also gave 15 superhit films one after the other.
Born on 20 July 1927 in Sialkot, Punjab, Rajendra Kumar’s father was a major textile merchant and grandfather a military contractor. His life in the Rais family was going smoothly when the India-Pakistan partition took away everything from his family. Amidst the riots, the business collapsed and the whole family had to leave everything and move to India. The family thought it appropriate to settle in Delhi.
Rajendra Kumar prepared to join the police by beating hands and feet in Delhi, but suddenly one day he changed his mind. Rajendra Kumar, who watched films day and night, was so impressed by the film world that he decided to leave the police job and go to films, but there was neither money nor any help in his pocket to go from Delhi to Mumbai. Thinking this, his eyes fell on the precious watch tied on his wrist, which his father had given him. That watch of Rajendra Kumar was about to change his time. He sold that watch for Rs.63. Bought a ticket to Bombay for 13 rupees and left with 50 rupees in his pocket.
Rajendra Kumar, who came to Mumbai from Delhi, stayed in a room at the Bombay Guest House, which provided cots to sleep at a low cost. This was the same guest house where stars like Dharmendra, Raj Kumar had also stayed during the days of struggle. After a few years, when Rajendra Kumar became a star, the people of the guest house made that cot famous. The people who reached the guest were told that this is the cot on which Rajendra sahab used to sleep. On hearing this, people used to get ready to sleep on that cot for double the price.
Well, when Rajendra Kumar reached Mumbai, he felt that he was not fit to be a hero. After some time, lyricist Rajendra Krishnan got him the job of assistant to director HS Rawail at a salary of Rs.150 per month. He worked as an assistant director in many films like Patanga, Sagai, Pocket Maar, but director HS Rawail had understood that he had the skills to become a hero. He first gave Rajendra Kumar a small role in the film Patanga. Seeing this, other directors also started giving him small roles in their films.
Director Kedar Sharma cast Rajendra Kumar in the 1950 film Jogan alongside Dilip Kumar and Nargis. When the film released, Rajendra Kumar’s small role caught everyone’s attention, including producer Devendra Goyal. Devendra, testing his talent, launched him with the film Vachan (1955). He was paid only Rs 1500 for this film.
The film was in theaters for 25 weeks. At the time of the first film itself, it was said that a new star has been born in Hindi cinema. Further, Rajendra Kumar achieved such recognition and success across the country from Mother India that he never had to look back. In an acting career spanning 4 decades, he acted in about 80 films. In the 60s, his films like Dhool Ka Phool, Gharana, Dil Ek Mandir, Mere Mehboob, Sangam, Aai Milan Ki Bela, Arju, Suraj, Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan, Talaash and Gaonwar were such big hits that they were closed in theaters for 25 weeks. There used to be a crowd of spectators. This was the reason why Rajendra Kumar was given the name Jubilee Kumar. 35 films were silver or golden jubilee hits.
Rajendra Kumar was a newcomer in Hindi cinema and did not get success. At the same time a relative of his came to him, who introduced him to his friend. That friend said to Rajendra Kumar during the meeting – I have a daughter, if you consider her worthy then marry her.
Started in the early 60s when Rajendra Kumar was trying to make a place in films. One day while passing through Carter Road, he saw a dilapidated bungalow there. He liked that bungalow so much at first sight that he made up his mind to buy it. Some people explained that the haunted bungalow was not worth buying, but he had made up his mind. But now the matter got stuck on money. That bungalow belonged to actor Bharat Bhushan, whose price at that time was 60 thousand rupees. He didn’t have enough money to buy it. But in the meantime suddenly one day Raj Kapoor’s entry happened at his house.
Raj Kapoor suddenly offered him a film and also paid the advance amount. When he came to know that Rajendra Kumar wanted to buy the bungalow, Raj Kapoor gave him an advance for 2 more films. Rajendra Kumar bought that ghost bungalow with that amount. Rajendra Kumar gave hit films one after the other ever since he moved to that bungalow, popularly known as Bhoot Bungalow. He named that bungalow after his daughter Dimple. He considered it lucky for himself.
In the 60s, Rajendra Kumar’s films Milan Ki Bela (1965), Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968) and Aman (1967) proved to be blockbusters with Saira Banu. While working together, Saira Banu started liking Rajendra Kumar. The closeness of both was increasing, but Saira Banu’s family had objections to their relationship. Since Saira Banu was a fan of Dilip Kumar since childhood, the family sought Dilip Kumar’s help and asked him to convince Saira to separate from the married Rajendra Kumar.
For the sake of Saira’s family, when Dilip Kumar came to convince them, the matter completely turned upside down. In stubbornness, Saira said that if I separate from Rajendra Kumar, will you marry me? Dilip Kumar agreed to convince him, because in this meeting he also liked Saira. In this way, Saira got married to Dilip Kumar by leaving Rajendra Kumar.
There was a time when Rajendra Kumar used to like Nutan. Once, he went straight to his mother Shobhana Samarth to ask for Nutan’s hand. Shobhana not only denied marriage at that time but also insulted him a lot. Since then Nutan and Rajendra Kumar stopped working together. Sawan Kumar ended this enmity after years.
It was a matter of 70s when Rajendra Kumar’s career was on the decline. His stardom had faded as soon as Rajesh Khanna came. Due to the brake on his career, he had even stopped leaving his house. One day Sawan Kumar reached Rajendra Kumar’s house with the offer of his film Saajan Bina Suhagan. Sawan knew that if Nutan would be in the film, he would not refuse. When Sawan arrived, Raj Kapoor sahib was already present at home. Sawan handed over a check of Rs 11,000 to him in front of him and confirmed the matter.
Seeing this, Raj Kapoor said – I will come to give the first clap of your film.
Sawan Kumar replied – You will come to give the Silver Jubilee Award, not to clap for the film.
In fact, there was a silver jubilee without Saajan and it was Raj Kapoor who gave the Silver Jubilee Award to Saawan. Rajendra Kumar-Nutan, who could not become husband and wife in real life through this film, became husband and wife on screen.
By the time of the 70s, the bad phase of Rajendra Kumar’s career started. Many of his films flopped and new offers also stopped. When the period of financial crisis started, Rajendra Kumar had to sell the bungalow even against his wish. As soon as Rajesh Khanna came to know that the sea face bungalow was being sold, he immediately went to Rajendra with Rs 60,000 and bought the bungalow. The day that Lucky Bungalow was sold, Rajendra Kumar kept crying the whole night after losing it.
Rajesh Khanna got the bungalow renovated and named it Ashirwad Bungalow, where he himself lived. When Rajesh Khanna came to live in that bungalow, he had given back-to-back 15 hit films. This bungalow was so dear to Rajesh that he spent the last few years of his life here. After Rajesh’s death on July 18, 2012, this bungalow was bought by businessman Shashi Kiran Shetty for Rs 90 crore. Today there is a 5-storey building at that place.
Kumar Gaurav always wanted to become an actor by following his father’s path. When Kumar Gaurav returned home after completing his studies, the family happily ate dinner together. Everyone was stunned to hear what Kumar said at the dinner table.
Kumar Gaurav- Papa I also want to be a hero like you. You have a big status in the industry, have contacts with big people. Help me and get me work in films. To be a hero is my dream as well as my stubbornness.
The first test happened and Kumar Gaurav could not deliver the dialogues properly. When Rajendra Kumar saw this, he pulled his hands back. Raj Kapoor was a close friend of Rajendra Kumar. Kumar Gaurav started assisting him. After two years, one day again Kumar Gaurav got irritated and said to his father, I want to become a hero. The condition was still the same that first give the screentest. This time Kumar Gaurav’s screentest took place at RK Studio, where Raj Kapoor was also present.
Seeing Raj Kapoor in front of him, Kumar Gaurav became so nervous that he could not say anything let alone speak the dialogue. Now the limit of tolerance of Rajendra Kumar was over. He lashed out at the son shouting in front of everyone – you remained a flop despite working with a personality like Raj Kapoor, you are not fit to be a hero.
Raj Kapoor handled the situation and said to send it to Roshan Taneja’s acting school. When Kumar returned, Rajendra Kumar had already made preparations to produce the film Love Story for his son. Rajendra Kumar was seen in the role of Kumar Gaurav’s father in Love Story.
Kumar Gaurav became famous with the film Love Story released in 1981, but he could not maintain his stardom with some flop films. Films stopped getting and Kumar Gaurav started getting worried. Now Kumar Gaurav again got stubborn in front of his father. He wanted his father to produce the film for him, but he was already in financial trouble and his bungalow had also been sold.
Tension prevailed in the house and Kumar Gaurav was not ready to give up. When wife Shukla Kumar persuaded her husband to make a film on the insistence of the son, Rajendra Kumar made the film Lovers in 1983 for Kumar Gaurav. For this he had mortgaged his bungalow. Despite all the efforts, Kumar Gaurav failed to survive in Hindi cinema and left the industry.
Rajendra Kumar died on 12 July 1999, just 8 days before his 72nd birthday. The last 2 years of Rajendra Kumar’s life were very painful. Sometimes we had to visit hospitals for blood transfusion and sometimes there was a shortage of blood. In the last time, Rajendra Kumar started getting so upset that he flatly refused to get treatment and take medicines. When Rajendra Kumar went to sleep on July 11, the birthday of his son Kumar Gaurav, he did not wake up the next morning. He had a heart attack in his sleep. Let us inform that Kumar Gaurav had married Namrata Dutt, daughter of Sunil Dutt-Nargis.
0
0
Average Rating