Sanjay Kapoor’s Acting Debut and Early Struggles
Sanjay Kapoor made his acting debut in 1995 with Prem, which also starred Tabu. Unfortunately, the film was a box-office failure. His next film, Raja, was set to release just three weeks later, but due to the failure of Prem, many people believed that Sanjay’s career was over before it had truly begun.
Indra Kumar’s Doubts and Turning Point
Indra Kumar, the director of Raja, also feared that the film would flop because of Sanjay Kapoor’s earlier failure. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Raja became a massive hit.
Reflecting on the experience, Indra Kumar shared in a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, “Before Raja, I had directed two successful films. But when I watched the original version of Raja, I realized some scenes weren’t working. I rewrote the script and reshot the film. The new version went on to become a super hit.”
The Struggles Before Raja‘s Success
Indra Kumar admitted that the road to success wasn’t smooth. He explained, “Just three weeks before Raja’s release, Prem, Sanjay Kapoor’s first film, had flopped. People started mocking me, and I lost hope. I thought, ‘This could be my last film. After this, I might have to go to Haridwar.’”
He added, “Sanjay was the hero, but his previous film had failed. Everyone was talking about it, and I worried it would negatively impact Raja. But, thanks to Madhuri Dixit, Saroj Khan, and my team, they helped make the film a success.”
The Iconic Slap Scene and Audience Reaction
Indra Kumar vividly remembered a moment at the Novelty theatre, where the audience reacted strongly to a scene in Raja. He said, “When Sanjay Kapoor slapped Madhuri Dixit in the film, the entire theatre started clapping. Just a few weeks earlier, people were mocking him, but now they were cheering for him.”
The scene involved Madhuri accusing Sanjay’s brother of harassing her, but Sanjay slaps her and takes his brother’s side. Indra Kumar recalled the power of the script in that moment, saying, “The whole theatre was applauding. That’s how powerful the script was.”
The Famous Dialogue from Raja Movie
The impactful line Indra Kumar referred to in the slap scene was: Khabardaar jo mere bhai ko pagal kaha aur rahi baat faisle ki toh sun, tujh jaisi 1000 ladkiyan mai qurbaan karta hu apne bhai pe. Samjhi?
(“Beware if you call my brother mad, and as for the decision, listen carefully, I would sacrifice a thousand girls like you for my brother. Understood?”)
Indra Kumar’s Career Before Raja
At the time of Raja, Indra Kumar was still a relatively new filmmaker, having directed his debut film Dil (1990), followed by the commercial hit Beta (1992). These successes helped build his career and paved the way for Raja.
Why Sanjay Kapoor Didn’t Achieve Stardom
In the same interview, Indra Kumar shared his thoughts on why Sanjay Kapoor didn’t achieve long-term success as an actor. He explained, “Even though Raja was a hit, it didn’t work out for Sanjay Kapoor in the long run. I always tell my son, ‘It doesn’t matter how good you are as an actor, it all depends on your stars. Some actors become stars because their stars favor them.’ Sanjay’s stars weren’t as strong, but I think he did a great job in Raja.”
Sanjay Kapoor’s Shift to Supporting Roles and OTT
Despite the success of Raja, Sanjay Kapoor’s career struggled with many of his subsequent films flopping at the box office. Over the next decade, he moved to supporting roles in films and later shifted to production and OTT platforms. He even reunited with his Raja co-star, Madhuri Dixit, for the Netflix series The Fame Game.
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