Born as Kulbhushan Pandit, Raaj Kumar was an Indian actor, who has starred in over 70 films in the career span of over four decades. He started his career with the 1952 film Rangili, and went on to appear in several films, but it was the 1957 film Nausherwan-E-Adil that helped him garner popularity and fame. He also appeared in a brief role in the Oscar-winning Mother India (1957), starring Nargis. Some important movies of his career include Paigham (1959), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Hamraaz (1967), Heer Raanjha (1971), Pakeezah (1972), Kudrat (1981), Jung Baaz (1989), Saudagar (1991), and many more. He was married to Gayatri Kumar, with whom he had 3 children, including actor Puru Raaj Kumar.