Rajendra Kumar is right up there as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema. He was renowned for the title of 'Jubilee Kumar' due to the fact that he made a lot of hit films during his acting career, which spanned over four decades. Rajendra Kumar ruled the industry in an era when the Hindi cinema was filled with many iconic stars. He made his acting debut in the 1949 film, Patanga and went on to appear in over 80 films. Some of Rajendra Kumar's best films include Dil Ek Mandir, Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Arzoo, Mother India, Geet, Gora Aur Kala, Jhuk Gaya Aasman, Talash, Sangam, and many more.
Everyone is aware of Rajendra Kumar's illustrious acting career and the awards he lifted for his timeless acting performances, but only a few know about his personal life. For the uninitiated, Rajendra Kumar was married to Shukla Kumar, who was the sister of Ramesh Behl and Shyam Behl. Rajendra and Shukla welcomed three children, Kumar Gaurav, Dimple Patel, and Manorama Ralhan. However, there's an interesting anecdote from his personal life that people don't know.
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For the uninitiated, when Rajendra Kumar was married to Shukla Kumar, he fell in love with one of the most stunning actresses of all time, Saira Banu. Yes! You read it right. Before Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu was madly in love with Rajendra Kumar, and their incomplete love story is nothing less than a movie. Rajendra Kumar and Saira Banu worked in a series of memorable films, including Aman, Film Hi Film, Jhuk Gaya Aasman, and Ayee Milan Ki Bela.
The duo's chemistry ruled the silver screen and made them one of the most loved on-screen couples in the film industry back in those times. While working together in multiple films, Saira Banu and Rajendra Kumar became friends and came close to each other, as per multiple media reports back then. While Saira Banu was single, Rajendra Kumar was 17 years older than her and married. However, none of these things stopped Saira from falling in love with the Jubilee star.
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With time, Saira Banu and Rajendra Kumar's feelings became increasingly intense, and they reportedly started thinking of getting married. Back in those days, reports were rife that Rajendra Kumar had reportedly decided to leave his wife and kids in order to marry Saira. As things started getting more serious between Saira and Rajendra, the former's mother, Naseem Banu intervened and told her daughter to maintain distance from the actor.
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The doting mother was against Saira's relationship with Rajendra Kumar as he was already married, which is why Naseem Banu strictly told Saira to officially announce that she wasn't dating Rajendra Kumar in order to put a full stop to their marriage reports. However, the young actress declined her mother's order and continued her relationship with Rajendra Kumar.
It was a troubled time for Naseem Banu and then she decided to approach her neighbour and legendary actor, Dilip Kumar. After sharing everything with Dilip Kumar, Naseem Banu asked him to convince Saira to end her relationship with Rajendra Kumar. Upon hearing everything, Dilip accepted Naseem's request and promised her that he would talk to her daughter.
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According to a report in Navbharat Times, Dilip Kumar was invited to Saira Banu's birthday back in 1966, and it was there that the former talked to the actress about her relationship with Rajendra Kumar. After listening to Dilip Kumar, Saira was convinced and agreed not to marry Rajendra Kumar. However, she proposed to Dilip Kumar at that very moment. It was a strange moment for the legendary actor, who was completely unaware of Saira Banu's feelings towards him.
Weeks after that incident, it was on October 11, 1966, when Saira Banu got married to Dilip Kumar. Their wedding broke the headlines as no one was aware of it. As per multiple reports, Saira fell in love with Dilip Kumar the moment she saw him entering into her house on her birthday. The young actress couldn't stop herself from falling in love with Dilip Kumar at first sight. While Dilip Kumar was 44, Saira was just 25 at the time of their marriage. The couple never had any children. It was on July 7, 2021, when Dilip Kumar passed away at the age of 98.
What are your thoughts on Rajendra Kumar and Saira Banu's incomplete love story? Let us know.
Also Read: Saira Banu Bared All Obstacles In Marriage With Dilip Kumar, Extra-Marital Affair To Second Wedding
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