Raaj Kumar would have turned 100 this October, and three decades after his death, the stories around him still carry the exacting precision of the actor himself. For writer-producer-director Mehul Kumar, the memories begin with Marte Dam Tak, the 1987 film that brought the star back to the screen after five years away.
It started with a rejection. Producer Pranlal Mehta had already been turned down twice when Mehul Kumar called the actor and introduced himself. “Who Mehul Kumar?” Raaj Kumar shot back. After hearing the title Marte Dam Tak, his stance softened: a story with that name, he felt, must have some substance.
Raaj Kumar invited the director to Mumbai’s US Club and asked for his car number. On arrival, the gate had been told exactly who to expect. The script was handed over in Urdu, the language Raaj Kumar preferred for reading. A week later, the verdict came with a hug and a promise: he liked the subject and would do the film.
A comeback mahurat and an unexpected cab
The comeback nearly became a story before a single frame was shot. At the Madh Island mahurat, Raaj Kumar was uncharacteristically late. His car had broken down as he was leaving, and he took a cab rather than miss the first shot, aware that an absence would invite gossip in the industry and the press.
The cab driver, a die-hard fan, refused to take the fare. Knowing how self-respecting the actor was, Mehul Kumar persuaded the driver to accept payment. Raaj Kumar then paid Rs 500 for a ride that could not have cost more than Rs 80.
The first-day test
After the silent mahurat shot, in which Farah Naaz’s character threw Shakti Kapoor at Raaj Kumar’s feet as a nod to his famous Pakeezah dialogue, the actor called his director to the make-up room. He asked why that scene had been chosen and filmed in that way. Mehul Kumar explained the edit: the previous shot moved a character to the right of frame, and this one pulled the action in from the left.
Raaj Kumar later explained his working rule. On the first day of a shoot he always questioned the director. If the director was intimidated and accepted his suggestion without argument, he would keep offering advice through the whole film. This time, the director held his ground. The actor’s verdict, as recalled by Mehul Kumar, was short: “You passed the test, Mehul, now, you can make this film the way you want.”
A look the industry followed
Before the shoot, Mehul Kumar also broke the visual rule of the Hindi film don. Instead of white suits, he insisted Raaj Kumar wear black, with the shirt left out. The actor laughed at the suggestion, and the director predicted that others would follow.
The outcome, in short:
- Marte Dam Tak released on July 17, 1987 and celebrated a golden jubilee run.
- It was Raaj Kumar’s comeback after a five-year break.
- The black suit with the shirt out became a trend that other actors adopted at parties and on screen.
- Mehul Kumar and Raaj Kumar went on to make Jung Baaz and Tirangaa, with a fourth film planned but left unfinished because of the actor’s health.
The collaboration also sits inside a wider pattern. A decade later, Mehul Kumar directed Amitabh Bachchan’s return in Mrityudaata after the star’s own five-year absence.
Source: Rediff.com
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