Best Raaj Kumar Movies Ever
Raaj Kumar used to be a cop before deciding to pursue a career in film. In movies, he used to fit up uniforms nicely and looked great as a cop or a fauji. He was noted for his dialogue delivery, and it was once a competition among authors to write out his lines. He was one of the most elegant stars to ever grace the silver screen, and he was always dapper both on and off-screen. He was also one of our most masculine movie actors, and his tough-guy demeanour won him a lot of fans. On the occasion of his birthday, we've compiled a list of Raaj Kumar's outstanding films over the years...
1. Raaj Kumar Movie - Mother India (1957)
Director: Mehboob Khan
Cast: Nargis, Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt
The film was a cinematic tribute to Indian women's tenacity, who were regarded as the upholders of India's moral core. The sacrifice of Nargis' errant son for the sake of justice is regarded as the pinnacle of Indian motherhood. At that point, she was renamed Shakti, and she was tasked with destroying evil and leading mankind to salvation. Her portrayal of a "noble mother" established the gold standard for movie mothers, with echoes in strong performances like Nirupa Roy's in Deewar, which was itself a modern interpretation of Mother India. Mehboob Khan remade his own film Aurat (1940) seventeen years later, rewriting cinematic history in the process. The Indian film industry would never be the same after that.
Nargis was just 26 years old when she was cast in the role of a mother to two grown-up children. Raaj Kumar played Nargis' spouse, who mysteriously disappears in the beginning of the film due to circumstances. The film's fire sequence resulted in real-life romance. When the studio fire grew out of hand, Sunil Dutt, who played her second son, saved Nargis from being burned to death. Soon after, the two fell in love, and a year later, they married.
2. Raaj Kumar Movie - Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960)
Director: Kishore Sahu
Cast: Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari, Nadira
This was a traditional nurse-doctor romance, with songs like Ajeeb dastan hai yeh and the title song that are still popular today. Karuna (Meena Kumari) works as a nurse in a hospital and meets Dr. Sushil Varma (Raaj Kumar). They fall in love and appear to be the perfect match for each other. Dr. Sushil, on the other hand, is obligated to marry Kusum (Naadira) due to her father's responsibilities to him and his family. Kusum is a jealous woman who causes havoc in her marriage as a result of her personality. After a lot of melodrama, the film finally comes to a joyful finish. Raaj Kumar's performance as the doctor was remarkable, as was Meena Kumari's portrayal of the sad nurse. Nadira, too, stood out as the wife who was openly envious.
3. Raaj Kumar Movie - Gharana (1961)
Director: S S Vasan
Cast: Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Asha Parekh
Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani was a remake of the 1960 Telugu film Shanthi Nivasam, which was recreated in 1988. Shanta (Lalita Pawar) is a despotic dictator. Ramdas (Bipin Gupta) is her humble and religious spouse. Kailash (Raaj Kumar), her middle son, is married to Sita, a lovely woman (Devika). Kamal (Rajendra Kumar), the youngest son, is a college student who falls in love with another student, Usha (Asha Parekh). Bhairavi (Shubha Khote), her married daughter, has returned home for a petty cause. Shanta has spoilt her daughter beyond belief.
Bhairavi instils in Kailash the suspicion that Sita is having an affair with Kamal one day. As acrimony builds between the brothers, the family's serenity is shattered. Circumstances, however, force them to unite, resulting in a joyful conclusion for all.
4. Raaj Kumar Movie - Dil Ek Mandir (1963)
Director: C. V. Sridhar
Cast: Rajendra Kumar, Meena Kumari, Raaj Kumar
Sridhar directed the film, which was a remake of the Tamil film Nenjil Or Aalayam (1962). Another love triangle between a doctor, his lover, and the guy she eventually marries was depicted in this film. It was extremely melodramatic in nature, in keeping with the type of films being made at the time, but it did represent the dedication of a doctor. Dr. Dharmesh's (Rajendra Kumar) sole purpose in life is to care for his patients. He has a crushed heart because Sita (Meena Kumari), his true love, has married a wealthy businessman Ram (Raaj Kumar).
Ram develops cancer and seeks treatment at Dharmesh's hospital. Sita is unsure if Ram is the ideal doctor for her husband because his emotions may interfere. To show her that his desire to help patients outweighs his feelings for her, he works tirelessly day and night to find a treatment option, even suffering a heart attack in the process. He successfully operates on Ram, but succumbs to tiredness afterwards. Later, Ram and Sita built a hospital in his honour.
5. Raaj Kumar Movie - Waqt (1965)
Director: Yash Chopra
Cast: Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Sadhana, Balraj Sahni, Sharmila Tagore, Achala Sachdev and Rehman
Waqt is widely regarded as the first multistarrer in Hindi cinema. Its core plot was based on the lost-and-found formula, which has become a common cliche in Hindi cinema. The film's lavish production values, A-list cast, and fantastic soundtrack assured strong box-office profits. Following that, grandeur became somewhat of a characteristic for all Yash Chopra films.
Waqt was certainly the film that introduced the Yash Chopra period with flair, with dapper heroes, fashionista heroines, fast vehicles, sumptuous mansions and scenic locales; not to mention the who's who of the cinema business joining together to make a dream ensemble cast. Yash Chopra, who intended the three Kapoor brothers — Raj, Shammi, and Rishi — to play long-lost siblings, went with Raaj Kumar and Sunil Dutt as the oldest and middle brother, respectively, with only Shashi from the original cast remaining. Sadhana and Sharmila Tagore, both recognised for their fashion sense, were picked as the love interests. We were intrigued when the brothers inadvertently met each other's paths, and the lost and found formula didn't look like a cliche. Raaj Kumar played a grey-shaded figure in the film, and his smooth acting was believed to have eclipsed his other co-stars.