Raaj Kumar

Raaj Kumar born on 8 October 1926 was an Bollywood actor. In the late 40's this dynamic actor started out as sub-inspector of Mumbai police before he turned to acting with the unnoticed 1952 film Rangili.

He got married to Gayatri in the 1960s with whom he had three children, Puru Raajkumar who is a Bollywood actor, Panini Raajkumar and a daughter named Vastavikta Raajkumar, who recently made her debut in 2006 film Eight Shani.

Raaj Kumar became a big shot in Bollywood with the Oscar-nominated 1957 film Mother India and he starred in over 70 Bollywood films in a career that spanned over four decades.

Raaj Kumar with his unique style of dialogue delivery and having a gravelly voice he became an icon in the industry. Apart from this he's still remembered for his catchphrase 'Jaani' which he frequently used in many of his films.

Raaj Kumar most notable performances were in hit films like Shararat (1959) with Kishore Kumar, Paigham (1959), Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960), Gharana (1961), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1967), Neel Kamal (1968), Pakeezah (1972), Lal Patthar (1971), Heer Ranjha (1971), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973), Ek Se Badh Kar Ek (1976), and Karmyogi (1978). In the mid 60s Raaj Kumar also received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Awards for Dil Ek Mandir and Waqt.

During 80's his notable films included Chambal Ki Kasam (1980), Kudrat (1981), Ek Nai Paheli (1984), Marte Dam Tak (1987), Jung Baaz (1989) and Police Public (1990).

In 1991 the actor appeared alongside another legendary actor Dilip Kumar in the successful flick Saudagar. Both the actors earlier had appeared together in Paigham (1959). Raaj Kumar's last big hit was Tiranga which always played in national channels of India during Independence and Republic days.

Raaj Kumar suffered from a throat disease in the early 1990s which reduced his voice to a whisper. His last film appearance was in God and Gun (1995) before his death. The actor died at the age of 69 in July 1996.