Untold Stories Of Raaj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Kapoor

India-West News Desk

MUMBAI – Veteran actor Raza Murad recently shared a series of intriguing anecdotes about some of Bollywood’s most legendary figures—Raaj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, and Raj Kapoor—offering rare insights into their lives, personalities, and professional experiences.

Raaj Kumar: Assault

Murad recalled a shocking incident from Raaj Kumar’s early years before he became a Bollywood star. According to Murad, the actor was once involved in a violent altercation at Juhu Beach, where he assaulted a man who allegedly made inappropriate remarks about a woman accompanying him. The altercation led to the man’s death, resulting in a lengthy legal battle against Raaj Kumar.

“There was a murder case against Raj Sahab. Because my father was a close friend of his, he attended every court hearing in his support. Ultimately, Raaj Kumar was acquitted, but the case dragged on for months,” Murad revealed.

Before his film career, Raaj Kumar, born Kulbhushan Pandit, served as a police sub-inspector.

Amitabh And Rajesh: Locked Up

Murad also shared an incident from the making of Namak Haraam, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He recalled how the filmmaker, frustrated with actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna frequently leaving the set to attend phone calls, took a drastic step to ensure discipline.

During the filming of the song Sooni Re Sejaria, both actors were repeatedly summoned but found to be away attending calls. This led Mukherjee to lose his temper, pointing out how each delay cost the producer heavily. “He called both actors, scolded them, and locked them inside a room until the shoot was completed at 12:30am,” Murad said, highlighting Mukherjee’s no-nonsense approach to filmmaking.

Raj Kapoor Encounter

In another recollection, Murad spoke about his first glimpse of legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor in 1964. As a 12-year-old, he pushed through a crowd outside a restaurant on Bandra’s Linking Road, eager to catch a glimpse of Kapoor, who had just released Sangam.

“Raj Saab was seated inside an air-conditioned enclosure. I somehow managed to reach the glass window just to see him while he was having his meal,” Murad shared. (with inputs from ANI)

Years later, Murad got the opportunity to work with Kapoor in Prem Rog (1982), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), and Henna (1991).

A Legacy of Bollywood’s Golden Era

Having worked in over 200 films, Raza Murad has witnessed the evolution of Bollywood firsthand. Through these anecdotes, he shed light on the intense, humorous, and sometimes controversial moments that shaped the lives and careers of some of the industry’s most iconic stars.