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Kulbhushan Pandit, better known as Raaj Kumar, was a celebrated Indian actor famous for his distinctive style of delivering dialogues.
After completing his education, Kumar joined the Bombay Police as a Sub-Inspector in the late 1940s. Despite starting his career in law enforcement, his love for acting drew him to the film industry.
He made his acting debut in 1952 with the film Rangili. Kumar appeared in the 1957 Oscar-nominated movie Mother India and went on to feature in over 70 Hindi films during a career spanning four decades.
His breakthrough came with the 1957 film Nausherwan-E-Adil, where he portrayed Prince Naushazad. Kumar was known for playing rugged and realistic characters, such as a mill worker in Paigham (1959).
One of his most acclaimed roles was as a cancer patient in The Heart Is a Temple (1963), which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His filmography also includes notable titles like Waqt (1965), Heer Raanjha (1970), and Pakeezah (1972).
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kumar appeared in several less successful films before making a strong comeback with Kudrat (1981). He later acted in movies such as Ek Nai Paheli (1984), Itihaas (1987), Marte Dam Tak (1987), and Mahaveera (1988).
Kumar married Jennifer Pandit, an Anglo-Indian air hostess. They had three children: daughter Vastvikta Pandit, who debuted as an actress in 2006, and sons Panini Rajkumar and Puru Rajkumar, both of whom pursued acting careers.
After 32 years, Raaj Kumar reunited with Dilip Kumar, his co-star from Paigham, in Subhash Ghai's Saudagar (1991). His final commercial success was Tirangaa (1993), and his last film appearance was in God and Gun (1995).
Raaj Kumar passed away on July 3, 1996, due to throat cancer.
