Sarabhai vs Sarabhai Actor Rajesh Kumar Recalls Being Slapped By Co-star Manohar: I Couldn’t...

TV actor Rajesh Kumar is vividly remembered for his iconic roles in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Kaun Apna Kaun Papaya and Baa, Bahoo Aur Baby. He recalled an incident while filming Kaun Apna Kaun Papaya with co-star Manohar which made the atmosphere eerie and the whole crew went silent.

Why was Rajesh Kumar slapped by Manohar?

In a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, Rajesh Kumar told “We had to shoot a nine-minute long sequence. The shot went like: I am sitting in a bar drinking and my father comes. He sees me in that state and slaps me. So far, I had never played an alcoholic, so to get into the character, I had a shot of brandy.”

He further said, “We did rehearsals and finally we were shooting for the final shot. We were done with seven minutes of the sequence, the last two minute were left, where I was supposed to get a slap”.

“Manohar ji slapped me so hard that a strange sound lingered in my ears for quite some time. The shot was over and the whole crew kept quiet. I couldn’t help but think, ‘Why did he hit me so hard?’ He quickly hugged me and said, ‘I am sorry, you must be hurt, I just slapped to make you understand that never drink while acting’. Then we had a walk, and he told me about the 11 traits of an alcoholic. I think it stayed with me. I understood the seriousness of the craft”, he added.

When Rajesh Kumar decided to quit acting and change his profession

Reflecting on his decision to delve into farming, Rajesh Kumar revealed that his ancestral land in Gaya, Bihar , beckoned him in 2017. He expressed his desire to become a farmer, a move that initially surprised his family, with his father thinking it might be a fleeting phase. However, Rajesh said that he remained steadfast in his decision and was determined to work on his roots.

The journey into farming, however, was not without its challenges. The actor shared that during this phase, he faced financial setbacks. Planting 15,000 trees on 20 acres of land, his efforts were thwarted by a flood, and the subsequent pandemic compounded his financial struggles. He admitted going through a dark period where bankruptcy loomed, and loans added to the burden.

Rajesh Kumar’s return to showbiz

Rajesh Kumar, after weathering the storm in farming, has returned to the world of acting. Despite facing a dearth of compelling scripts that led him to explore farming, he said that he now balances his time between the being an actor and the serenity of his farmland.

He returned to acting with Kota Factory. Rajesh’s acting career picked up again with a role in Binny and Family which was filmed in the UK. “I had just Rs 2,500 in my bank account. I couldn’t even buy chocolates for my kids,” he shared. He has landed roles in projects starring Shahid Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, marking his return to acting.