This actor worked in over 500 films, had no money to afford a car, lived in a house with no electricity, name was..., his son is...
Stories of yesteryear actors facing financial struggles later in their lives aren't rare. Many major movie stars who are very successful in 90s often found themselves penniless in their old age. This often happened because they didn't save enough money to prepare themselves financially during difficult times. Once such actor who acted in over 500 films, and shared screen space with superstars like Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna, found himself destitute in his old age. This Mughal-E-Azam actor struggled financially
Recently, in an interview, actor Raza Murad cited his father, veteran actor Murad's example, to talk about the importance of saving money. His father was a character actor, who starred in some iconic films like D o Bigha Zamin, Mughal-E-Azam, Andaz, even did a Hollywood project, Tarzan Goes to India.
In a candid chat with Filmy Charcha, Raza Murad recounted the financial difficulties his family faced, despite his father being a consistent actor. 'I have experienced poverty. Our house in Bhopal didn't have electricity. I would have to study for my exams under a lamp post. I would start at midnight and finish at 6 am.' He said. Raza Murad on why many yesteryear stars had no money in the end
Raza Murad mentioned that many yesteryear actors were responsible for their own financial setbacks as they didn't plan better for the future. He stated, 'When you earn money, you should think about your old age. Even crew members in our industry have their own houses. They have savings. They know that income could stop any day, they know that their health could fail. Why should you beg before someone? I wouldn't want to take any names, but there were many actors who were extremely busy during their heyday. They earned a lot of money and fame, but they spent all of it. When they grew older, they were forced to live in rented accommodation even though they used to live in lavish bungalows. I saw them travelling by auto rickshaws.'
Raza revealed that even though his father worked in several movies, but still it didn't save them from financial distress. 'A lot of people didn't save. There were many heroes from the 50s and 60s who were much in demand during their peak, but had tremendous difficulty in their old age. They should have planned for the future. It's so unfortunate, but such is life. You must think about your family's future as well. If you have children, then it is your responsibility to look after them. I've seen this personally. My father must have worked in over 500 films. But we never had a car, and we used to live in a rented house. The first thing I did after establishing myself was to buy a house. Sometimes, you learn what not to do in life from your elders. I don't want to disparage my father; he lived like he wanted to. But I established myself at the right time, otherwise…' The veteran actor said.
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