Raaj Kumar is an Indian actor who worked as a Sub Inspector of Mumbai Police before becoming an actor. With a lifeless face, pencil thin mustache and stoney eyes, this eccentric anti-star is best described as complex, impossible, fascinating and perplexing whose understated acting style blended with his original dialogue delivery style, popularly known by the prefix ‘Jaani’, is still remembered by the Hindi film fraternity.
Wiki/Biography
Raaj Kumar was born Kulbhushan Pandit on Friday, 8 October 1926 (age 69 Years; at death) in Loralai, Baluchistan Agency, British India (now in Balochistan, Pakistan). After the partition of India, he moved to Bombay where he got a job in the Mumbai Police as a Sub Inspector and was posted at the Mahim Police Station. After being allegedly involved in a murder case, he was forced to leave the police service. After that, he turned to acting and started giving auditions in the Hindi film industry.
Old photo of Raaj Kumar
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 10″
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Salt & Pepper
Family & Caste
Raaj Kumar was born into a middle-class Kashmiri Brahmin family, known as “Kashmiri Pandits” in the popular media.
Parents & Siblings
Raaj Kumar’s father’s name is Jagdishwar Nath Pandit, and his mother’s name is Dhanraj Rani Pandit. He has four sisters and three brothers. His brothers’ names were Anand Babi Pandit, Jeevanlal Pandit, and Mahindernath Pandit.
Raaj Kumar with one of his sisters
Wife & Children
Almost a decade after his acting debut, he met Jennifer (an Anglo-Indian flight attendant) on a flight in the 60s and fell in love with her. Their romance blossomed, and soon after, they tied the knot. After marrying Raaj Kumar, Jennifer was renamed Gayatri. The couple later had three children – two boys and a girl. His two sons, Puru Raaj Kumar and Panini Raajkumar, are both actors.
Raaj Kumar with his son Puru Raaj Kumar
Children of Raaj Kumar Puru and Panini Raajkumar
Raaj Kumar’s daughter Vastavikta Pandit is also an actress who is best known as Shahid Kapoor’s stalker.
Vastavikta Pandit, daughter of Raaj Kumar
Signature/Autograph
Address
Raaj Kumar has two houses in Mumbai – one in Dadar and the other in Juhu; he mostly lives in his Juhu bungalow “The Whispering Windows.”
Career
Raaj Kumar’s acting career spanned over four decades in which he delivered some memorable performances, such as ‘Shamu’ in Mother India (1957), ‘Ram’ in Dil Ek Mandir (1963), ‘Raja’ in Waqt (1965), ‘Chitrasen’ in Neel Kamal (1968), ‘1968’ (1968) ‘Salim’99 Pakeezah’ and ‘Brigadier Suryadev Singh’ in Tirangaa (1993).
Raaj Kumar in a different role
Although she made her debut in 1952 with the Hindi film Rangeeli, the 1950 Hindi film Neeli is considered her screen debut.
Reportedly, in 1949, he auditioned for the Hindi film Daulat but was rejected. He was first noticed in Sohrab Modi’s film Nausherwan-E-Adil. In this costume drama film, he played the role of Prince Naushazad. The role of ‘Shamu’ in the classic Indian film ‘Mother India’ (1957), established him as an actor in the Hindi film industry. In Mother India, he appeared in a brief role as Nargis’ husband. Mother India later became India’s official entry to the Oscars.
Raaj Kumar and Nargis in Mother India
Raaj Kumar earned his first Filmfare nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for the 1959 Hindi film Paigham in which he played the role of a Factory worker. In Paigham, she appeared with Dilip Kumar for the first time, and the two reunited in the film directed by Subhash Ghai Saudagar.
Saudagar later became a cult film about friendship in India. Here is Raaj Kumar’s popular dialogue from Saudagar –
know…
His other benchmark film was Waqt where he played the role of ‘Raja,’ and his dialogues in that film are still considered iconic in the Indian film fraternity. Here is Raaj Kumar’s famous dialogue from Waqt –
Chinoy seth, jinke ghar sheeshe ke bane hoote haiin wo don’t throw stones on others.”
Waqt (1965) – Balraj Sahni, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Surendra, Manmohan Krishna, Leela Chitnis, Sharmila, Sadhana, Achala Sachdev
After doing Pakeezah in 1972, he became a household name. In Pakeezah, he played the role of an aristocrat who falls in love with a beautiful dancing girl just by looking at her feet in a train compartment. Here is a dialogue from Pakeezah, which ranks among Hindi cinema’s most romantic moments –
अप्के पाव धेक्षे, भुथ हसीन हैन, हैनी पर जामीन मत उत्रीगा मेले हो जेंगे.”
Amrohi directed Raaj Kumar and Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
His last successful film was Tirangaa (1993) in which he played the role of ‘Brigadier Suryadev Singh,’ and his dialogues in the film became very popular. Here is Raaj Kumar’s popular dialogue from Tirangaa –
हम अन्हो से सुरमा नहीं चुराते. “
Raaj Kumar’s last release was ‘God And Gun’ (1995) in which he played the role of Saheb Bahadur Rathore.
Awards & Honors
- Won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Dil Ek Mandir” (1963) in 1964.
- Won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Waqt” (1965) in 1966.
Controversy
- In 1969, her altercation with Raj Kapoor at Prem Chopra’s wedding received widespread media coverage. Reportedly, Raj Kapoor had incited Raaj Kumar by making a comment about him –
You bloody murderer!”
Raj Kapoor said this in disgust because Raaj Kumar had turned down his offer to play a role in Mr. Kapoor’s multi-starrer ‘Mera Naam Joker.’ Raaj Kumar, in his reply, said,
I may be a murderer, but I never go to you for help. You are the one who came to me!”
- While enjoying the success of Mother India on a night drive with his fellow director Prakash Aurora and his wife, Raaj Kumar is taunted by a group of nameless men when Mr. Kumar is standing in a Paan shop, a fight ensues in which one person is killed. Raaj Kumar was arrested; however, he was later acquitted of all charges.
Car Collection
Raaj Kumar loves cars and has a Plymouth, Chevrolet, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Jeep Willy.
Favourite
- Food: Rogan Josh, Chaman (Paneer) with Baingan and Kasuri Methi, Methi Paratha
- Beverage: Kahwa (Kashmiri drink)
- Song: ‘Aye dil-e-nadaan’ from the movie Razia Sultan
- Clothing: Kurta Pajama, Shirt and Pants and Khadau (wooden sandals)
- Travel Destination: Kashmir, Switzerland
Death
Raaj Kumar died of Throat Cancer. Reportedly, he has been suffering from Hodgkin’s Disease for a long time. Ironically, he never supported the depiction of death scenes in films. Commenting on this, he said that the film industry always turns death into a Tamasha. He has also insisted that his own exit is a private, family matter. He said,
Jab jaonga pata bhi nahin chalega (When the time comes, you won’t know).” 
Facts/Trivia
- Raaj Kumar has earned the title of “Jaani” in the Indian film industry.
- He likes to eat non-vegetarian food.
- In his free time, he likes trekking, playing golf, horse riding, and listening to classical music and Ghazal.
- He is a regular smoker and is often spotted drinking alcohol.
- In 1950, after leaving the Mumbai Police service, he changed his name from Kulbushan Pandit to Raaj Kumar.
- Besides being an actor, he is also a pro in golf. He is also a skilled horse rider. His wife Jennifer is also a good horse rider, and they often enjoy horse riding in Gulmarg.
- Interestingly, it was not Meena Kumari’s legs that Raaj Kumar used to convey in his famous romantic liner from the film Pakeezah but her body double.
- Raaj Kumar is not in the league of actors who will do two to three films at a time, rather he is very selective and rarely does more than one film in a year in his career. He was so confident in his choice of roles that when a reporter asked him to name some of his favorite roles, he said,
I haven’t done a role that I didn’t like. I just choose what I like.”
- Not only about films, but Raaj Kumar is also very confident when it comes to other things in life, He often quotes –
I believe in what I do, I do what I believe in.”
- Throughout his career, Raaj Kumar maintained an ascetic and mysterious life. When a reporter asked him if he ever felt lonely, he replied,
I can find companionship in a crowd or in solitude. No, I never feel lonely but there are times when I want to be alone.”
- Reportedly, she lost her hair permanently in her youth due to some unknown disease.
- His favorite time of the day is sunset when he likes to spend time with his family.
- Raaj Kumar is considered to be one of the first Bollywood actors to start driving a Jeep.
- She is a passionate dog lover and has several pet dogs in her Juhu home, including her favorite pet dog Toby.
- Raaj Kumar is known for his flamboyant lifestyle and is often seen with his signature pipe and scotch whiskey.
- Reportedly, she had rejected Zanjeer because she didn’t like director Prakash Mehra’s face.
- He was a committed actor and always followed a disciplined work ethic, which can be inferred from an incident narrated by filmmaker Mehul Kumar who had worked with Raaj Kumar in films like Tiranga (1993), Marte Dum Tak (1987), and Jung Baaz (1989). Mehul Kumar said that on the first day of shooting for Marte Dam Tak, Raaj Kumar arrived at Madh Island by taxi instead of his personal car; when asked why, Mr. Kumar replied,
My car broke down near my Juhu bungalow. I thought if I didn’t show up on the first day, the press would call me a truant.”
- Once when asked about being an introvert and less sociable, he explained,
I choose my colleagues, otherwise socialization would be hypocritical.”
- Reportedly, he drove the same Plymouth car for over 40 years and also kept the same staff including his hairdresser, tailor and chauffeur for the same period.
- Raaj Kumar is also the face of many melodious Bollywood performances, like ‘Chu lene do nazuk hoton ko, kuch aur nahiin hain jaam hai yeh,’ ‘Yeh Duniya, yeh mehfil,’ ‘Unkey khayal aaye to aatey chale gaye,’ and many more.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
