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Raaj 'Jaani' Kumar was one of those stars who didn't go by the method school. No matter what character he played, he did not shed his regal style, his trademark and much imitated/ridiculed style of dialogue delivery, his eccentric interpretation of his roles or bizarre wardrobe.
His fans didn't seem to mind, since even the worst of his films managed to get good openings.
Raaj Kumar's scene-stealing abilities were evident right from the early days when he matched his talent with Dilip Kumar in S S Vaasan's Paighaam. Over thirty years later he did another film with him - Subhash Ghai's Saudagar - and once again stole the thunder from Dilip Kumar. In between Dilip Kumar apparently turned down three films with Raaj Kumar!
Raaj Kumar was a police inspector (real name Kulbhushan Pandit) before he was cast in a film called Rangeeli opposite Rehana. It was the small role of Nargis" beleaguered husband in Mother India, which established him as an actor to reckon with.
Even when cast with the top stars of his time in Yash Chopra's Waqt, Raaj Kumar easily stood out, though he was neither the most handsome or the most talented of the lot. There was something about his personality that made him such a big star.
Also, he happened to pick some box-office winners like Neel Kamal, Dil Ek Mandir, Kaajal, Humraaz, Dil Aapna Aur Preet Parayi, Pakeezah and even the ridiculous Tirangaa. The ones that did not do so well - like Godaan, Oonche Log, Heer Ranjha and Lal Patthar were memorable for his performances.
His aristocratic bearing made him a natural for films like Mere Huzoor, Pakeezah, Maryada and Lal Patthar.
Raaj Kumar was reported to have turned down Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer because he didn't like the filmmaker's appearance, as a result of which Amitabh Bachchan bagged it and became a superstar. He did eventually act in two of Mehra's later films, but neither was as big a hit as Zanjeer.
The actor who was known for his eccentricities - he once met Zeenat Aman at a party and advised her to act in films, when she was already a big star! He stayed aloof from the industry and had just a few friends like Chetan Anand. His family and private life were also out of bounds. He preferred to read, play golf or holiday in his native Kashmir, rather than socialise with industry folk.
Raaj Kumar died of throat cancer and made a quiet exit from the scene. He did not want a public show of grief from an industry he kept away from at a personal level.
After his death, all three of his children Puru, Panini and Vastavikta tried to get into the industry but failed.
Memorable Films
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