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This man delivered 3 back-to-back blockbusters, and turned a ‘jinxed' actress and a flop actor into Bollywood superstars, they are... movies are...
Bollywood remembers Indra Kumar not just as a filmmaker but as a man who changed destinies. Brother of actress Aruna Irani, he belonged to a family deeply tied to cinema. While his brothers Firoz and Adi Irani acted on screen, and Ratan and Balraj Irani produced films, Indra started his journey in Gujarati theatre before stepping into Bollywood. Initially, he only produced films, keeping away from direction.
But Javed Akhtar noticed his hidden spark, while Boney Kapoor pushed him to explore directing. Soon after, Kumar turned that hesitation into history.
When did Indra Kumar step into direction?
The year was 1988. Indra was producing Kasam with Anil Kapoor and Poonam Dhillon in lead roles, directed by Umesh Mehra. While watching the process, he felt the director wasn't doing justice, but he kept quiet. The film failed at the box office, yet a thought was planted. One morning, over tea with his wife Veena, he confessed his desire to direct. That moment changed everything.
How did he create stars?
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Kumar revealed, 'I started directing two films within a month — Betaa and Dil.' At that time, Aamir Khan was drowning with eight flops post Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Madhuri Dixit too was written off by distributors as 'unlucky.'
Kumar paired Madhuri with Aamir in Dil (1990), which turned out to be a superhit. He cast her opposite Anil Kapoor in Betaa, which faced delays but finally released in 1992, becoming a blockbuster. Suddenly, Madhuri rose from a struggling starlet to the face of Bollywood. Aamir too never looked back after Dil.
What came next?
Riding on success, Kumar again teamed up with Madhuri in Raja (1995). With Sanjay Kapoor in the male lead, Nadeem-Shravan's music, and Sameer's lyrics, the film stormed the charts, earning Rs 20 crore — massive in its time.
By now, Kumar had found his rhythm. In 1997, he delivered another superhit with Ishq, starring Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Juhi Chawla, and Karisma Kapoor.
From Dil to Betaa, Raja to Ishq, Indra Kumar was no longer just a producer but a storyteller who revived careers and gave the industry unforgettable moments. Later, he entertained audiences with Masti, Dhamaal, Double Dhamaal, Grand Masti, and Total Dhamaal.
