Raaj Kumar (Born Kulbushan Pandit, October 8, 1926 – July 3, 1996) was
an Indian actor in Bollywood movies. Raaj Kumar started out as
sub-inspector of Mumbai police in the late 1940s before he turned to
acting with the unnoticed 1952 film "Rangili". He shot to fame with the
Oscar-nominated "Mother India" in 1957 and went onto star in over 70
Bollywood films in a career that spanned nearly four decades. He was
known for his special style of dialogue delivery and for having a
gravelly voice.
He was born as Kulbushan Pandit in Balochistan
which is now a province of Pakistan. He moved to Mumbai in the late
1940s and was a sub-inspector of the Mumbai police. He married Gayatri
in the 1960s with whom he had three children, a son named Puru
Raajkumar who is also an actor in the Bollywood industry and a daughter
named Vastavikta who is also set to debut in films and Panini, who has
not shown any move towards films as of now.
In the early 1950s,
now known as Raaj Kumar he quit his job as a police inspector and
turned to acting. He made his acting debut in "Rangili" (1952) which
was unnoticed. After acting in a few more films in the next five years
which failed to launch his career, his shot to fame in Mehboob Khan's
classic Oscar-nominated blockbuster film "Mother India"(1957). His
performance as a poor farmer who loses his arms in an accident and then
abandons his wife and children was appreciated and he went onto play
many leading and supporting roles throughout the 1960s and 1970s where
his special style of dialogue delivery made him an icon in the industry.
Apart
from his unique style of dialogue delivery which became his trademark,
he was known for his show or scene stealing abilities even when he was
not in the leading role. One of his most famous catchphrases was
"Jaani" which he frequently used in many of his films and also
addressed people with the same word.
His most notable
performances were in hit films like "Paigham" (1959), "Dil Apna Aur
Preet Parayi" (1960), "Gharana" (1961), "Dil Ek Mandir" (1963), "Waqt"
(1965), "Neel Kamal" (1968), "Pakeezah" (1971), "Lal Patthar" (1971)
and "Hindustan Ki Kasam" (1973). He picked up Filmfare Best Supporting
Actor Awards for "Dil Ek Mandir" where he played a man dying of cancer
and "Waqt" where he played one of three rich aristocrats.
Towards
the late 1970s and 1980s Raaj Kumar appeared in lesser films and often
played central supporting or villain roles such as the father, uncle,
friend, an elderly mobster. His most notable films during this period
included "Kudrat" (1981), "Ek Nai Paheli" (1984), "Marte Dam Tak"
(1987) and "Jung Baaz" (1989).
In 1991 he appeared alongside
legendary actor Dilip Kumar in "Saudagar". The film was a huge success
due to the hype of seeing both actors onscreen for the first time in 3
decades. Raaj and Dilip Kumar had previously appeared together playing
brothers in "Paigham" (1959).
Due to his many years of smoking,
Raaj Kumar started suffering from a throat disease in the early 1990s
which reduced his signature trademack voice to a whisper and caused his
health to decline. His last film appearance was in "God and Gun" (1995)
before his death at the age of 69 in July 1996. His death came only a
few months before his son Puru Raajkumar was due to make his debut in
"Bal Brahmachari" which released later that year. It was dedicated to
his memory.