Best Rajendra Kumar Movies

Rajendra Kumar, born Rajendra Kumar Tuli joined the industry as an assistant director to HS Rawail for several years before his mentor cast him in a small role in Patanga (1949). The next year, he played the role of Dilip Kumar’s friend in Kidar Sharma’s Jogan (1950). Though actively dissuaded from pursuing an acting career, Kumar persisted while continuing to work as an AD. His first major role came in Vachan (1955), five years later, acting as Geeta Bali’s younger brother, followed by an important part in Toofan aur Diya that same year.

Mother India (1957) was Kumar’s breakout film – its success set him firmly on the path to stardom. In 1959, he delivered three back-to-back hits – Goonj Uthhi Shehnaaii, Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan and Dhool ka Phool. This became such a regular occurrence that he was soon referred to by the sobriquet ‘Jubilee Kumar’.

For the better part of the 60s, Kumar was the uncrowned king of the box office until the Rajesh Khanna tsunami swept the industry. Though he continued to act in moderately successful films for the next decade, he saw the writing on the wall. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he had shrewdly invested his earnings not just in producing films, but out of the film industry as well.