After spending years trying to crack an acting role, Rajendra Kumar was about to give up when he received an unexpected note. A new biography documents his arduous journey to success
MID-DAY (March 1, 2020)

Devendra Goel had promised him a break in films. He'd said he would sign Rajendra as the hero of his film. But two years had gone by since… So H S Rawail Sir had been proved right, yet again. Acting is not for me, Rajendra told himself in despair. I must approach producers to direct films. But will they trust me to carry an entire film on my shoulders?

Insecurities and fears weighed him down as he went about his daily tasks, unaware that the universe was conspiring to bestow upon him what was meant to be his.

It happened a week later. One evening, as he sat smoking in his room at Marina Guest House, a peon came up with a note sent by none other than Devendra Goel.

'Meet me in my office tomorrow morning,' was the message written in the note.

Although Rajendra had to report for Rawail's Mastana early the next day, he followed his instinct and landed up at Famous Studios. Rajendra was sure that Goel would offer him a film. But there could be many a slip between the cup and the lip, he reminded himself, as he sat across the producer in his office.

Thankfully, Goel came straight to the point.

'We'd met in 1952 and I'd said that I'd give you a chance,' the producer began. 'The time has come to fulfil my promise.' With that, he placed an agreement on the table in front of Rajendra. 'You are working in my next film, along with Balraj Sahni and Geeta Bali,' he elaborated.

Rajendra looked from Goel to the agreement and back in wonder.

'Go ahead. Read it!' the producer prompted.

Rajendra read through the contract, but among the lines of typed words that his eyes went over, what stood out starkly against the white paper was a number: 1,500.

One thousand five hundred rupees! A fortune! Rajendra couldn't believe his luck. He did tell himself, though, that however lucrative the payment he had been promised might seem, what was invaluable was the full-fledged role he had been offered in a film.

Without further ado, he signed on the dotted line.

'Congratulations, my boy! You are on your way to stardom,' Goel said with a smile, handing Rajendra Rs 101 as the signing amount.

A jubilant Rajendra Kumar almost floated out of Famous Studios, reaching the sets of Mastana far later than when he had been expected to report for duty.

A furious Rawail confronted him. 'You, a mere assistant director, have the audacity to keep the great Motilal waiting?' he yelled.

'I am sorry, Rawail Sir. But please hear me out first,' Rajendra said, unable to contain his joy. 'Today, I have become an actor in the true sense of the term.'

'What are you talking about? What actor?'

'I have signed a film with the famous Devendra Goel.'

'Who is he, anyway? And you can't call every second film "a film"!' Rawail said disparagingly.

'Rawail Saab,' Rajendra told him firmly, 'film or no film, Goel ji has offered me a chance of a lifetime today and that too with a signing amount. Today, I gave nothing and lost nothing, but my gain is immeasurable. Today is special for me.'

With a look of disdain, Rawail turned away from his assistant director. 'Silence on set!' he shouted, calling his crew to attention.

Goel's Vachan, starring Geeta Bali and Rajendra Kumar in the roles of siblings, released in early 1955 and was a huge box-office success. In the film, Rajendra Kumar sailed through his first major role, a lock of hair falling on his brow, his fingers splayed across his face in a gesture adopted from 'tragedy king' Dilip Kumar's characteristic technique, or his arms crossed behind his back. But he did seem cockier and more confident in the romantic scenes.

Excerpted with permission from Jubilee Kumar: The Life and Times of a Superstar by Seema Sonik Alimchand, published by Hachette India


With Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar and director C V Sridhar