Meet 70s Actor Who Called Everyone 'Jaani' And Was Considered Tougher To Handle Than Amitabh Bachchan

This 70s actor continues to be remembered for his commanding screen presence, distinctive style and iconic dialogue delivery. With a career spanning over 70 films, the late veteran star carved a place for himself in Bollywood history. Can you guess who? It's none other than Raaj Kumar. Now, filmmaker KC Bokadia has recalled his experience of working with the late actor, revealing that handling him was even tougher than working with Amitabh Bachchan.

'Raaj Kumar Was Moody': Filmmaker KC Bokadia

Raaj Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan's working style was very different, according to KC Bokadia. Speaking to IndiaTV, he shared that it was simpler to interact with Amitabh Bachchan in a professional setting since he was very practical and calculative. Raaj Kumar, on the other hand, was more unpredictable and emotional.

Raaj Kumar's responses frequently relied solely on his current mood, according to the director. He compared the late actor's character to someone unpredictable and uncontrollable. "Bachchan is a calculative person, but Raaj saab was moody," said the filmmaker.

KC Bokadia claimed that the actor loved to meet people in person before accepting a project; hence, persuading him for a movie was never easy.

(Image: X/@Agni_Hotr)

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Raaj Kumar Calls Everyone 'Jaani'

Raaj Kumar had a peculiar tendency, recalled the filmmaker. He claimed that the actor referred to nearly everyone as 'Jaani', a term that grew to be strongly connected with him over time.

"His dog’s name was Jaani. So, he used to call everyone Jaani. Fortunately, he never called me by that name and addressed me only as 'Bokadia saab'," the filmmaker revealed in the same conversation. 

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Raaj Kumar Passed Away At 69

Raaj Kumar died on July 3, 1996, at the age of 69 after fighting throat cancer. The late actor's son, Puru Raaj Kumar, revealed in an interview with Farhana Farook that he also had Hodgkin's disease and had received chemotherapy.

(Image: X/@Agni_Hotr)

The actor starred in movies like Tiranga (1992), Insaniyat (1993), Pakeezah (1972), Neel Kamal (1968), Mother India (1957) and many more.