Actor Raaj Kumar once dominated Bollywood with his unique acting style. He was known for his blunt and fiery personality, which was often loved by his fans. According to some media reports, actor Rajinikanth once refused to work with Raaj Kumar due to his reputation in the film Tirangaa. On his 98th birth anniversary today, let us know about this incident here. The director of the 1992 film Tirangaa, Mehul Kumar ,spoke about this in an interview. He shared that as soon as Rajinikanth heard the name of Raaj Kumar, he immediately rejected the role he was offered. Mehul Kumar explained that after Raaj Kumar was finalised for the film, he approached Rajinikanth for the role of Shivajirao Wagle. Mehul reportedly narrated the whole story to Rajinikanth, which he liked. He refused to be a part of the film solely because of Raaj Kumar.
Mehul Kumar said, “Rajinikanth told me that the story is great and even the names of the characters match aptly with it. But his only concern was with Raaj Kumar as they have never worked together and there could be some unnecessary problems. He then told me that we can work together in some other film.” Following this, the role of Shivajirao Wagle was played by Nana Patekar.
As per earlier reports, Raaj Kumar used to increase his fees after every film, regardless of the film’s success. In 1994, after Betaaj Badshah failed to leave its mark at the box office Raaj Kumar said, “I always do complete justice to every role I play. I never think that I have failed in it. Films can flop, but I cannot.”
“Even when my films flopped, my fee would increase by Rs 1 lakh. My secretary once asked, ‘Raaj Sahab, the film didn’t work, but you’re increasing your fee by a lakh?’ I replied to him that whether the film is a hit or not, I have not failed, so my fee will increase by Rs 1 lakh,” he further added.
Raaj Kumar was one of the most well-known stars in the Hindi film industry. The veteran actor passed away on July 3, 1996, at the age of 69.
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