Rajendra Kumar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rajendra Kumar
Born	Rajendra Kumar Tuli (1927-07-20)20 July 1927 Sialkot, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Died	12 July 1999(1999-07-12) (aged 71) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actor, producer, director
Years active	1949–1998
Spouse(s)	Shukla
Children	3 including Kumar Gaurav
Honours	Padma Shri (1969)

Rajendra Kumar Tuli (born July 20, 1927 – died July 12, 1999) was a famous Indian film actor. He starred in many Bollywood movies. He started his acting career in 1950 and appeared in over 80 films. His career lasted more than forty years. People often called him 'Jubilee Kumar'. This was because many of his films ran for a long time in cinemas. He was one of the most successful Indian actors in the 1960s. He also produced several films. Some of these films starred his son, Kumar Gaurav. The Government of India gave him the Padma Shri award in 1969. This is a high honour for his work.

Rajendra Kumar's Film Journey

Rajendra Kumar's family lived in Punjab, which was part of British India. He was born into a Punjabi Hindu family in Sialkot. His grandfather was a successful military contractor. His father had a textile business in Karachi. When India was divided in 1947, his family had to leave everything behind. They moved to India.

When they arrived in Bombay, Kumar decided to try acting. He did not want to be a main hero at first. He started working as an assistant to director H. S. Rawail. For almost five years, he helped Rawail with films like Patanga and Sagai.

Early Roles and Big Breaks

Kumar first appeared in a small role in the 1949 film Patanga. Then, he had another small part in Kidar Sharma's 1950 film Jogan. In Jogan, he acted alongside famous stars like Dilip Kumar and Nargis.

Producer Devendra Goel noticed Kumar in Jogan. He gave Kumar his first big chance in the film Vachan in 1955. Kumar was paid only fifteen hundred rupees for this movie. However, Vachan was a big hit. It was Kumar's first "silver jubilee" film. A "silver jubilee" film runs for 25 weeks in cinemas. After this success, people called him 'A star is Born'.

He became even more famous with his supporting role in Mother India (1957). This was a huge film directed by Mehboob Khan. In it, Kumar played the son of Nargis's character. His first main role as a romantic hero was in Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959). This was a musical film where he starred with Ameeta.

Becoming "Jubilee Kumar"

The 1960s were a very successful time for Rajendra Kumar. He became a huge star. Sometimes, he had six or seven films running in cinemas at the same time. All of these films would run for more than 25 weeks. This is why he earned the nickname "Jubilee Kumar."

He starred in many popular movies during this time. Some of them include Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Gharana (1961), and Dil Ek Mandir (1963). Other hits were Mere Mehboob (1963), Sangam (1964), and Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964). He also starred in Arzoo (1965) and Suraj (1966).

He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor several times. These nominations were for Dil Ek Mandir, Ayee Milan Ki Bela, and Arzoo. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Sangam. His brother, Naresh Kumar, was also a director. He directed Rajendra Kumar in films like Gora Aur Kala (1972).

Later Career and Producing Films

After 1972, Rajendra Kumar faced more competition from other actors. Some of his films did not do as well. He then started taking on "character roles" in the late 1970s and 1980s. These are roles that support the main characters. He had a successful role in the 1978 film Saajan Bina Suhaagan. He also acted in some Punjabi films.

In 1981, Rajendra Kumar helped his son, Kumar Gaurav, start his acting career. He produced the film Love Story, and also acted in it. The film was a huge success. Rajendra produced a few more films for his son. However, none were as successful as Love Story. One exception was the 1986 film Naam. This film starred his son alongside Sanjay Dutt. His last film as a producer was Phool in 1993. In 1995, he acted in two TV shows, Andaz and Vansh. These were his last acting roles.

Rajendra Kumar's Family Life

Rajendra Kumar married Shukla. She was the sister of director OP Ralhan. They had a son and two daughters. Their son, Kumar Gaurav, also became an actor for some time. Their daughter, Dimple, married Hollywood film producer Raju Patel.

Kumar acted with Sunil Dutt and Nargis in Mother India (1957). In the film, Sunil Dutt and Rajendra Kumar played Nargis's sons. Rajendra Kumar and Sunil Dutt had a special friendship. Rajendra Kumar often helped Sunil Dutt during his election campaigns. Sunil Dutt once said that Rajendra Kumar was a very genuine person. He also mentioned how Rajendra Kumar supported him during difficult times.

Rajendra Kumar was also very good friends with Raj Kapoor. Rajendra Kumar's son, Kumar Gaurav, was even engaged to Raj Kapoor's daughter, Reema. However, their engagement ended. Later, Kumar Gaurav married Namrata, who was the daughter of Sunil Dutt and Nargis.

Rajendra Kumar also earned a Ph.D. degree. Because of this, he had the title 'Doctor' before his name.

Passing Away

Rajendra Kumar passed away on July 12, 1999. He was 71 years old. He died in his sleep from a heart attack. This was just one day after his son's 43rd birthday. It was also just eight days before his own 72nd birthday.

Awards and Special Honours

Rajendra Kumar on a 2013 stamp of India

• Rajendra Kumar received the Padma Shri Award in 1969. This is one of India's highest civilian awards.
• He was also given the Justice of Peace honour. He served as an Honorary Magistrate.
• He received a National Honour from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. This was for his films "Kanoon" (Hindi) and "Mehndi Rang Lagyo" (Gujarati).
• He was given a special Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award. He was also involved in many charity projects.

Filmfare Awards and Nominations

Rajendra Kumar was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for three years in a row. These nominations were in 1964, 1965, and 1966. In 1965, he was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

Filmography

As an Actor

As a Producer