Hema Malini recalls late Raaj Kumar: 'He had a tough man's image, but could be very romantic on screen..'
was highly appreciated for his screen presence. Though he was a versatile star, he is more famous for his series roles. However, when we reached out to one of her last co-stars,
, the actress shared that contrary to what was said about both his on-screen and off-screen personalities, Raaj Kumar was a very patient and humble man.
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Our conversation with Hema Malini, the OG 'dream girl', began with the mention of 'Lal Patthar', which, according to the actress, was one of her favorite and demanding roles. ''Lal Patthar' was very challenging, very unconventional. It is the only time I played a grey character,' said the actress.
'I was a possessive, jealous mistress. It was very difficult as I am not like that at all in real life. Raaj Kumarji was a big help.
He made sure I was comfortable, and he was very patient and supportive,' she added.
When asked about Raaj Kumar's reputation as eccentric and impatient, Hema Malini replied, 'I never saw that side of him. With me, he was very polite, cordial, and very helpful.'
She added, 'After Lal Patthar, I did another very challenging film with Raaj Kumarji, which I am very fond of - 'Sharara'. I produced that film. This was the second double role after 'Seeta Aur Geeta.'
We needed an actor with an imposing, authoritative personality opposite me. The natural choice was Raaj Kumar.'
When mentioning this film, she shared another memorable moment. 'We got to shoot a very special song where we did the Waltz together - 'Shabnam Ka Ek Katra Hai,'' said the actress before adding, 'This particular music and tune was especially inspired by my brother and myself; we wanted the Waltz effect in the song.'
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'The director Raajendra Singh Babu was also very fond of this kind of music. We made a special request to Laxmikantji-Pyarelalji for the music. The credit goes to us for this song, and of course, Lataji. What would the song be without her?' she shared.
Seeing Raaj Kumar dance in a love ballad romantically was very unusual. Weighing in on the same, Hema Malini said, 'He had a tough man's image, like Dharamji. But both could be very romantic on screen when they wanted to be.'
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