Saiyaara actor Rajesh Kumar was left with only Rs 2500 in his account, recalls being in Rs 2 crore debt: 'Farming was…'

India.com

2 hours ago

You must have seen the character of Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai , right? Yes, the same fun-loving actor, Rajesh Kumar, who recently appeared in the film Saiyaara as Aneet Padda's father, has shared that he had only Rs 2,500 left in his wallet. The movie, which earned over Rs 400 crore at the box office, helped Rajesh in his tough times.
Rajesh Kumar recently revealed in several interviews that a few years ago, he reached a point in his life when he had only Rs 2500 and was burdened with a debt of Rs 2 crore. Surprising, isn't it? The actor who brought smiles to millions through his television roles was silently battling a major crisis in real life.
During a podcast with Meri Saheli , the actor stated, 'The incoming and outgoing flow had gone for a toss. There was no incoming, and I had exhausted all my reserves because of the outgoing. I went under debt of Rs 2 crore. Bankruptcy is a big word, but definitely, I had that feeling with me for a long time. I was not able to generate money for survival.' Why did Rajesh Kumar quit acting?
In 2019, Rajesh Kumar quit acting and turned to farming. His goal was to change the perception that farming is a lowly profession. He wanted city dwellers, especially the youth, to see farming as a respectable and viable career. But farming wasn't easy. Bad weather, crop losses, and eventually the COVID-19 pandemic shattered all his hard work.
Rajesh shared that due to the losses in farming, all his savings were wiped out. The income stopped, but the expenses continued. Things got so difficult that he couldn't even afford to buy two chocolates for his children. At one point, he even had to sell vegetables outside his son's school.
Rajesh told Dainik Bhaskar that while he was shooting for the film Binny and Family in the UK, he had only Rs 2,500 in his bank account. Despite traveling to the UK twice for the 24-day shoot, he couldn't bring anything back for his children. How relatable was Rajesh's role in Saiyaara?
His mother suffers from Alzheimer's, and in Saiyaara , he played the role of a father whose daughter has the same condition. Rajesh shared that his experience with farming made him a better actor. Whenever he needed to portray deep emotions in a scene, he would recall the difficult days on his farm. He says with a laugh, 'I don't need to think about my parents dying or a friend leaving, I just remember the day my farm caught fire.'
His family became his biggest support during this difficult time. Rajesh says that it was the encouragement from his wife and children that helped him overcome this challenging phase. Today, the success of Saiyaara has brought him back into the limelight. The film features newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, and is directed by Mohit Suri.
The film has earned more than Rs 400 crore worldwide. Rajesh's character is an important part of this emotional story, and people are praising his acting.