Known to generations of cinema lovers as the evergreen hero of long-running blockbuster hits like Dil Ek Mandir, Ayee Milan ki Bela, Arzoo and Sangam, among others,Rajendra Kumar Tuli was truly the 'Jubilee Star' of Hindi cinema in the 1960s.
A dispossessed refugee following the partition, Kumar travelled from Sialkot to Bombay to try his luck in films, suffering homelessness and hunger before he got his break in the film world. Touching candidly upon his life both on-screen and off it, this intimate account reveals Kumar – often through his own reminiscences and the recollections of others – as a hard-headed businessman, a generous and empathetic senior colleague, a gallant co-star to his female leads, a good-natured rival to peers and, above all, an upright and principled family man who rose above the many temptations that are an inevitable part of life in the Indian film industry.
A riveting tale of struggle and stardom, fame and disillusionment, love, heartbreak and loss, Jubilee Kumar unwraps the many layers of an icon whose achievements and charisma few of his rivals and successors have been able to match.
Review
'An engrossing work which reveals the man behind a superstar whose films often reflected the social trends of a country that had just begun to find its voice.' – Telegraph
'Works both to introduce Rajendra Kumar to those who did not know him and to represent him in a new light for even his most ardent fans.' – Cinestaan
'More than worth a read as it recreates the aura and charm of a time when an unlikely star became the biggest box office phenomenon but never really made a big deal of it.' – Firstpost
'A telling account of Rajendra Kumar's coming to grip over his waning career, the progression brought about by age, the dwindling crowd of admirers and the problem of reinventing himself.' – Tribune
Book Description
Includes intimate snippets of his life in his own words – based on first-person interviews and diary jottings of the star himself.
From the Publisher
Seema Sonik Alimchand is the author, presenter and producer of the popular album 100 Years of Hindi Film Music. The daughter of noted music composer Master Sonik of the Sonik–Omi duo, Seema developed an interest in the Indian film industry from an early age. The author of The Warrior Within and Deedara aka Dara Singh, the biographies of superstars Rajinikanth and Dara Singh, she has also worked as a flight attendant, a voice professional and a presenter and copy writer for programmes on television, radio and other media. Her forthcoming works include a semi-fictional novel Monsoon Earth, two plays, a psychological thriller and a musical.
About the Author
Seema Sonik Alimchand is the author, presenter and producer of the popular album 100 Years of Hindi Film Music. The daughter of noted music composer Master Sonik of the Sonik–Omi duo, Seema developed an interest in the Indian film industry from an early age. The author of The Warrior Within and Deedara aka Dara Singh, the biographies of superstars Rajinikanth and Dara Singh, she has also worked as a flight attendant, a voice professional and a presenter and copy writer for programmes on television, radio and other media. Her forthcoming works include a semi-fictional novel Monsoon Earth, two plays, a psychological thriller and a musical.
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