Imagine being one of the most well-known child artistes in the late 60s and 70s, having worked with top stars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor and more — and becoming so successful at the age of 6 that he was able to buy a home for his family in Mumbai’s most sought-after locality of Bandra. Such was the life of actor Master Raju. But after massive success as a child, he couldn’t replicate the same as an adult and failed to establish himself as a leading star. Here’s a look at his journey.
Master Raju got his name from Sanjeev Kumar
Master Raju was born as Fahim Ajani and hailed from Dongri, Mumbai. He didn’t come from a film family, which is why his parents were initially reluctant to let him act. However, during his audition for Gulzar’s Parichay (1972), he cried a lot and couldn’t give the audition properly as he was just 5 years old. But Gulzar liked that he “behaved his age” and decided to cast him in the film.
While shooting with Sanjeev Kumar, the veteran actor gave him the name Raju. Speaking to Rediff in an old interaction, Raju shared, “Sanjeev Kumar started calling me Raju when I did my first film Parichay with him. People would call me Guddu but he said Raju was a better name.”
Raju would work in three films at a time, got National Award
After starring in Parichay, Raju started getting many roles and worked with top directors like Yash Chopra, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. He starred in hit projects like Amar Prem, Daag – The Poem of Love, Deewaar, Inkaar, Khud-Daar and Woh Saat Din.
Raju in the interview shared that he got so busy with films that he would shoot for three films simultaneously. He said, “I had a busy shooting schedule. I would do about three films at a time and three shifts at a time.” He added, “Even though I was working all the time, I never felt I was exploited.” Raju’s hard work paid off when he got the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for his role in Chitchor (1976).
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Would get paid Rs 1 lakh per film in the 70s, bought house at age 6-7
Raju revealed that he was paid Rs 10,000 per film in 1973, a year after his debut film released. However, after four years of being in the industry and starring in multiple films, his remuneration increased to Rs 1 lakh per film. “In 1977, when I got very popular, I would get more than Rs 1 lakh,” he said.
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He also shared how his income helped his parents buy property in Bandra. He said, “I bought a house in Bandra for Rs 1.10 lakh. Whatever I earned was invested wisely by my father. The benefits are still coming in. In fact, my house is still running today because of those acting assignments. A lot of it was used by the family. We bought a house and our standard of living changed. I never went through a bad phase where I had no work.”
Raju’s memories with Hema Malini and Dharmendra
During the interaction, Raju shared his memories with late veteran star Dharmendra and his wife Hema Malini. He said, “I was seven years old when I worked in Kushboo. I was working with Hema Malini, who spoke very little. But she would play with me. I taught her how to spin a top. I have done quite a few films with Hemaji like Dream Girl, Nastik, and Krodhi.”
Recalling sharing tiffin with Dharmendra, he said, “I had a great rapport with Dharamji (Dharmendra). I did Samadhi, Krodhi and Dream Girl with him. We would share the same tiffin.”
Branded drug addict in films
Raju took a break from films after 9th standard to concentrate on studies, and when he returned, he wanted to play negative roles as he was tired of playing “good boy” characters. He played a drug addict in the show Chunauti and again played the same role in Mahesh Bhatt’s Saathi, after which the image stuck with him. He said, “I did Mahesh Bhatt’s Saathi in which again I played a drug addict and I was branded one.”
Couldn’t find success as leading star, played Narad in TV shows
Master Raju couldn’t find success as a leading actor and ended up getting positive supporting roles like that of the hero’s best friend. He played Salman’s friend in Baaghi in 1990. He then played small roles in films like Anari, Balwaan, Saajan Chale Sasural, and Diljale but couldn’t become a popular actor. However, Master Raju soon switched to television and ended up playing the role of Narad in almost 3000 episodes. He portrayed the mythological character in different shows like Jai Hanuman, Navgrah Puran, Darshan Do Bhagwan, Jai Maa Durgaa and Shani Mahima.
