Rajendra Kumar Profile

‘Jubilee Kumar’ labelled by the film trade for his filmy track record is known other than Rajendra Kumar a Bollywood actor of the 60s and 70s.Rajendra Kumar was born on 20 July 1929 in Sialkot, West Punjab,He has studied PhD and was known as Dr Rajender Kumar. He made his entry into Hindi Film Das as an Assistant directorto DH.S. Rahul Rawail  who later made the blockbuster ” Mere Mehboob” with Rajendra Kumar .

Later made Rajendra Kumar  his debut in the 1950 film Jogan in which he starred opposite Dilip Kumar and Nargis. He then shot to fame in the blockbuster hit Mother India in 1957 in which he played Nargis’s son. His first major success as a romantic leading man was in Vijay Bhatt’s musical superhit Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959), co-starring Ameeta. Rajendra Kumar rose like no other star had risen in which voice of Mohammad Rafi played biggest role. The songs of his film in Mohammed Rafi’s voice used to become mega hit giving movie the fine opening, and there was a time when every film starring him was a silver jubilee hit.

There were times when he had six or seven films running in their silver jubilee weeks at the same time. It was a success that was unbelievable and Rajendra Kumar was soon known as “Jubilee Kumar”.Rajendra Kumar’s Films used to pour the hits that heroines fell over each other to be part of his films
He was considered a golden boy for the movie producers in the sense that he was the actor who could recover the producers’ money in a matter of few weeks.

He had many successful box office hits including Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Mere Mehboob (1963), Sangam (1964), Arzoo (1965), Suraj (1966) and Ganwaar (1970). The mid-1970s from 1972 onwards proved devastating for Rajendra Kumar due to the phenomenon Rajesh Khanna. Several of his films bombed at the box office, and he was not getting the offers he used to receive earlier he was offered an interesting role in the film Saajan Bina Suhaagan opposite Nutan. The film was a huge blockbuster of 1978. Rajendra Kumar had regained his ‘Midas Touch’. He then switched from leading roles and played many character roles in the late 1970s and 1980s.

appeared in only a few films after this and his last film appearance was a minor role in Deepa Mehta’s critically acclaimed film Earth in 1998. his romantic image was created in the film Dhool Ka Phool, 1959, and Goonj Uthi Sehnai, 1959. He started moulding himself with the image of tragedian like Dilip Kumar.Shankar Jaikishan and Rafi had a great role to play in the success of Rajender Kumar.

Rajender Kumar acted in diversified subjects including relationship of poets in the film Palki, patriotic subject matters in the film Dharti, role of dacoits in Gora Aur Kala, etc. He married Shukla and had a son Kumar Gaurav also an actor and two daughters. His son married Namrata Dutt, the daughter of actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis and sister of actor Sanjay Dutt. He died on 12 July 1999 of cancer. He was known to never have taken medicines in his entire life. It took a very little time for Rajendra Kumar to attain stardom.

AWARDS :

Honoured with the Padma Shri Award in 1969.

Conferred with Justice of Peace honour and served as Honorary Magistrate.

Awarded the National Honour by late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru simultaneously for “Kanoon” (Hindi)
and “Mehandi Rang Lagyo” (Gujarati).

A special Shastri National Award and was associated with several charity schemes.

Filmography:

Jogan (1950)
Toofan Aur Deeya (1956)
Aawaz (1956)
Ek Jhalak (1957)
Mother India (1957)
Talaaq (1958)
Gehra Daag (1963)
Dil Ek Mandir (1963)
Amar Rahe Yeh Pyaar (1963)
Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963)
Sangam (1964)
Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964)
Anjaana (1969)
Geet (1970)
Ganwaar (1970)
Mera Naam Joker (1970)
Gora Aur Kala (1972)
Love Story (1981)
Clerk (1989)
Phool (1993)
Earth (1998)

Name                : Rajender Kumar
Date of Birth   : 20 July 1929
Education       : PhD
Date of Death : 12 July 1999
Profession      : Actor
Debut Film      : Jogan