His 80th birth anniversary and 10th death anniversary both fell this month. Jubilee Star Rajendra Kumar remained an enigma to those who did not know him up close.
Mohan Kumar, writer-filmmaker who was closest among his professional associates, unravels some of the mystique

The bond begins
“I am the only director with whom Rajinder (as I would call him) did five films, four of which - Aas Ka Panchhi, Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Anjaana and Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee - did very well. The fifth, Aman, was appreciated, especially internationally.

Rajinder was neither a struggler nor successful at the time we first worked together. He had assisted H.S. Rawail and also done hits like Toofan Aur Diya and Mother India in parallel or side roles but no lead-role film that had succeeded. And I, an assistant to Mohan Segal, was going to make my directorial debut!

I sent J.Om Prakash, my friend and now brother-in-law and a determined struggler who was producing the film, to Rajinder as they knew each other. We had already roped in Vyjayanthimala, then the box-office queen, and number one composers Shankar-Jaikishan, because they were all very friendly with me. Later, after we became friends, Rajinder admitted, ‘I was impressed that this producer had managed to rope in the topmost names. I asked him whom the director was and when he said that it was a new boy who had also written the script, I realized that a producer who is able to sign the biggest names in the business must have signed you only after a lot of thought, and this new director must be someone special!’

Later Rajinder came to my house and heard the script, which I admit I had written with him in mind. And he was very excited with the army backdrop and my story’s message that parents should not force careers on their children.

Aas Ka Panchhi became a silver jubilee hit and Rajinder, Omji and I soon launched Ayee Milan Ki Bela, which proved an even bigger hit.

Home to a superstar
I always believe that He does everything - without God’s blessings, nothing can happen or be created. Around that time, Rajinder was approached by B.R. Chopra, riding a high after Naya Daur. Rajinder obviously rushed there and Choprasaab offered him a two-film deal for Dhool Ka Phool and Kanoon. Rajinder had a principle: he would never quote a fee - the figure had to come from the producer.

Choprasaab, thinking about both practical logistics and being fair to Rajinder, offered Rs 50,000 for both films. And Rajinder had just one request - that he be paid in full on that very day. Choprasaab was curious, and Rajinder told him, “I have liked this sea-facing bungalow on Carter Road, Bandra. I have saved about Rs 10,000, but he is asking for Rs 65,000.’ Within minutes, Choprasaab gave him the cheque. Rajinder admitted that he left quickly, afraid that Choprasaab might have second thoughts!

Rajinder had a strange confidence then - the bungalow belonged to a Parsi and there were rumours that it was haunted. ‘Bhoot aayega to pakad loonga!’ he said. ‘Aur bhoot kabhi lucky bhi hota hai!’ And the house, renamed Dimple, really proved very lucky.

The extremist
Rajinder was an extremist. When he liked someone or something, he would rave about it to the world. After I directed my first-ever shot with him, a silent sequence incidentally, he raved about me to everyone he met, saying, ‘Kya ladka hai, yaar!’ He told me that since we had become friends I should stop addressing him with ‘ji’ and keep it to just Tu or Tum. I gently refused, simply because he was older to me.

Rajinder had one failing: a very quick temper with a blunt tongue that bordered on tactlessness. To some extent, that hurt or angered several people. His wife Shuklaji or I would often tell him, ‘You could have thought before blurting out something, or if you had a problem, voiced it 15 minutes later after cool reflection.’ In his own way, he would agree to this kink and admit to it by saying diverting things like ‘Accha baba, chal chai peete hain’.

The much-rumoured rift with his son Kumar Gaurav was also a consequence of this. Otherwise there was nothing ever wrong and lots of love between them till the end. He was a very loving husband and a great father to his three children, and a friend to treasure.”

A friend to treasure
In many ways, Shuklaji will agree that I knew Rajinder even better than she did. Yes, we differed and we fought - like children! I would walk out of the room and Rajinder would come to soothe me in a while and I would get up and go elsewhere! But he was never afraid of admitting he was wrong.

From 1967, Rajinder entered a bad phase - besides my film Aman, which I confess to have made in a way the audiences could not understand, his Palki, Saathi and Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan all bombed. Around that time, I was planning a film with Dharmendra, because the subject suited him. But I thought that I should instead give Rajinder a different kind of image and reinvent the man known for emotional roles. So overnight I conceived a musical romantic comedy, signed young generation heroine Babita and Laxmikant-Pyarelal, who had never worked with him earlier, and went to sign him.

Rajinder suggested that I take someone more saleable, but I refused and Anjaana’s success began his last innings as a hero, with Talash, Geet, his home production Ganwaar, my own Aap Aaye Bahaar Aayi and Gora Aur Kala to follow. In his last phase as a character artiste, he acted in successes like Saajan Bina Suhagan and Saajan Ki Saheli, launched his son in the super-hit Love Story and also produced the hit Naam.

Dizzying heights
But that was later. In 1961, the year my Aas Ka Panchhi released, Rajinder was the reign man with a downpour of hits. As it happened, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, Dhool Ka Phool, Kanoon and Patang had already proved hits in ‘59-’60 while my film was being made, and along with my film in 1961 came Sasural, Gharana and Pyar Ka Saagar!

Rajinder was so professional that he never interfered with a filmmaker’s choice of romantic co-star, cast and crew, composer or music director. Still because of the success quotient, he did most of his films with Shankar-Jaikishan and more films with Vyjayanthimala than anyone else, and his associations with both began with my film. He got some of the best music any star did, but confessed to knowing nothing about music or dance.

Breaking into the hallowed Dilip-Dev-Raj-Shammi stranglehold, Rajinder went from strength to strength with Dil Ek Mandir, Hamrahi, Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan and Gehra Daag, peaking with Zindagi, my Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Sangam, Arzoo and Suraj in the ‘64-’66 phase. He acquired the tag of Jubilee Kumar. Money came in a flood, but typically, Rajinder never cheated the Income-Tax Department of a penny.

There is a story as yet untold that I would like to share with you. We had wrapped up the shooting of Ayee Milan Ki Bela early one afternoon, so Rajinder suggested I come home. When we reached Dimple, his wife and sister were lounging on the sofas, looking supremely bored. Rajinder got irritated and when Shuklaji lovingly stroked his chin and said, ‘Papaji (a term she used when he was angry), what could we do? We were bored!’ he wanted to know why they could not have gone for a movie.

And that’s when Shuklaji, who used to watch all her husband’s films at trials and premieres, told him gently, “Where can we go? Every theatre is screening your films!”

In those days, all upmarket theatres showing Hindi films were located between Mumbai’s Opera House and Bombay Central a few kilometers away, and in a world record, every theatre (except one that was showing Raj Kapoor’s Jis Desh Mein Ganga Nehti Hai) was showing a Rajinder film that was - minimum - in its 20th week! And when Shuklaji told him this, I could see him swell with pride and surprised joy. ‘Sach baat hai, yaar!’ he said to me. Imagine, he never even know what a pinnacle he had reached! That day I stayed with him till late and he sent his man to get a bottle of my favourite Ballantine’s imported Scotch, then costing a princely Rs 50! I have never seen him happier! And to crown it all, he remained the same person after that. His priorities for signing a film were always the director and the script, never the fees.

The Dilip Kumar fixation
It was always said that Rajendra Kumar tried to imitate Dilip Kumar. And though it was true, my question is ‘Who did not?’ Even Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan did! The point is that Dilip Kumar was ingrained in Rajinder’s system! Unconsciously and subconsciously, he was so influenced that for him it was impossible not to copy his idol. He was great friends with Dilipsaab, and of course for many years, his star-status and price was higher than his idol’s!

Myth and reality
Much has been written about his legendary friendship with Rajsaab. I would only like to say that contrary to the grapevine, their friendship never soured after Kumar Gaurav’s and Rima Kapoor’s engagement was called off. They were mature enough to accept that it was a personal issue between their kids. Till the end, they remained thick as brothers and even today, their wives are very close.

Another myth about Rajinder was that he was a miser. He wasn’t. With both his early struggle and success, he had learnt the value of money. He never splurged – even parties and celebrations were restricted to close circles and never exorbitant. He invested well and all this made him among the richest men in the film industry.