Hum Apne Kadmo Ki Aahat Se Hawa Ka Rukh Badal Dete Hain

“Dada toh is duniya mein sirf do hain…ek upar waala aur doosre hum”. Just like that Raaj Kumar reshaped Indian cinema through his powerful dialogues and even powerful roles. He met his triumphant life's "The End" today in 1996.

Raaj Kumar: A Legendary Actor; Image Source: Cine Buster

Think of the thousands of people who travel to Mumbai every year to become actors in the movies and hit some big-time on the screen. Through all the struggles and all the hard work, only a few of them manage to move up the ladder and put their name on the superstars' list of this country. In this rushed and highly competitive world, there was one, whose name landed in the list of big-time actors but he never really wanted that for himself.

Far away from Mumbai and its race to become successful, in the valleys of Kashmir was born Kulbhushan Pandit who spent his childhood in Baluchistan, playing in the streets like every other young boy of his age. Once he grew up, he decided to join the police. Though he came to Mumbai for a very different purpose in the 1940s, his destiny had some different plans.

Pandit began his career as a sub-inspector in the Mumbai Police. In a very Bollywood-esque turn of events, once his friend suggested that he should work in the movies and offered him a job. Kulbhushan rejected in a coarse voice and a rather straight expression, saying, "I neither watch films nor do I want to do films." He went back to being the policeman he was.

“Na talwaar ki dhaar se, na goliyon ki bauchaar se… banda darta hai to sirf parvardigaar se" -Raaj Kumar in Tiranga

Being a typical friend, he sent Raaj's pictures secretly to a producer. He was called in and after the auditions, he finally got his first break in Rangili. The offer was so tempting that Kulbhushan couldn't refuse. This was how the sub-inspector became the veteran actor of Bollywood.

However, this was only the beginning. Neither Pandit nor anybody else had expected that this modest beginning would become a grand path of success one day. One after another, he kept giving powerful hits in Aabshar, Ghamand and Lakhon Mein Ek. Later he made movies like Mother India, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi and Dil Ek Mandir, which became all-time hits and Raaj Kumar, as he was now called became an immortal actor.

Landing roles in Bollywood has never been easy and Kumar had to contest with the likes of Dilip Kumar for roles in movies like Mother India. In any case, the movie changed his fortune and his heavy voice acted like a cherry on the cake. Previously closed doors were opened and Raaj became one of the best Bollywood actors.

“Aapke paon dekhe bahut haseen hain. Inhe zameen pe mat utariyega. Maile ho jaayenge!”- Pakeezah movie

Raaj Kumar had a charming ability of casting romantic spells even with his coarse voice. He would never look weak in the movies and yet had the skills to make people cry through his emotional scenes just through his timing and perfection of dialogue delivery.

Eventually, he made good friends in the industry and started landing bigger films like Dil Ek Mandir and Waqt. His charm never lessened and neither did his powerful dialogues that became famous lines for his fans.

"Jinke apne ghar sheeshay ke hoon ... woh doosron par patthar nahi phenka karte" - Raaj in Waqt

It was his strong and harsh voice, yet different and unique that had made him a fantastic actor. Thus, it was a hard hit to his fans when it was discovered that the amazing actor suffers from throat cancer. Death was never the end and Raaj knew it. As his life had been, he didn't want his death to be a large hue and cry. Yet, who could stop the fans from crying for their beloved actor when he breathed his last on 3 July 1996.

Indian cinema had never seen the likes of Raaj Kumar ever since.