Sujit Kumar (7 February 1934 – 5 February 2010) was an Indian actor and producer. He appeared in over 150 Hindi films in the 1960s through the 1990s, and in at least 20 Bhojpuri films. Sujit played the major lead actor in many films in Bhojpuri cinema whereas in Hindi films he played pivotal roles either as a villain or as a character actor. One of his most memorable screen appearances was of a friend playing the mouth organ while driving a jeep as Rajesh Khanna's character serenades Sharmila Tagore in the 1969 film Aradhana. Beginning in the late 1980s through the 2000s, Sujit primarily was a film producer. In 1987, his likeness was used by Sega for the character of Shinobi.
Biography
Hindi cinema Sujit was the leading man in suspense flicks in Hindi in the early 1960s, including Lal Bangla (1966) and Ek Saal Pehle (1965). He was often part of films with Rajesh Khanna as the lead hero, like in Aradhana, Ittefaq, Aan Milo Sajna, Haathi Mere Saathi, Amar Prem, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Roti, Mehbooba, Avtaar, Aakhir Kyon? and Amrit.
His other notable roles include that of a spy in Ramanand Sagar's Aankein (1968), Naya Raasta (1970), Jugnu (1973), Hamrahi (1974), Charas (1976), Dharamveer (1977), Dev Anand's Des Pardes, The Burning Train, Kaamchor, Krantiveer, Tiranga and many more. Sujit produced small budget movies like Asmaan Se Ooncha (1989) in the 1980s and then subsequently bigger budget films later like Daraar (1996), and Champion.
His best friends from the film industry were Jeetendra and Rakesh Roshan, the two with whom Sujit used to hit the gym regularly. Other close friends included producer Saawan Kumar Tak and Randhir Kapoor, all of whom practically grew up together in the Hindi Film industry since the early 1960s.
Bhojpuri cinema He appeared in such films as Bidesiya, Loha Singh, Dangal, Pan Khaye Saiyya Hamar, Champa Chameli, Patoh Bitiya, Sajan Kare Kanyadan, Bairi Bhaile Hamar, Nag Panchami, Saiyya Se Bhaile Milanawa, Aaeel Basant Bahar, Bidhana Nach Nachawe, Mai Ke Lal, Sampurna Teerth Yatra, Sajai Da Maang Hamar, Saiyya Magan Pahalwani Me, Ganga Kahe Pukar Ke, Ganga Jaisan Bhauji Hamar and Ganga Hamar Mai.
Death Kumar died in 2010 of cancer, an illness from which he was suffering since 2007. His wife, Kiran Singh predeceased him in 2005; they have two children, son Jatin Kumar, a film producer, and a daughter Henna Singh. A condolence meeting took place on 8 February 2010, at the Indian Medical Association, beside PVR Cinema, Juhu, Mumbai where many of his friends from the industry, like members of the Kapoor family, Rakesh Roshan's family, and Rajesh Khanna's family paid their last respects.
Filmography
Bhojpuri films Year Title DirectorRole Notes1963BidesiyaS. N. TripathiBidesi ThakurLead role with Naaz in lead female role1965Ayeel Basant Bahar DevendraChanderLead role with Naaz in lead female roleBhouji Kundan KumarLead role with Kumkum in lead female roleGanga Kundan KumarLead role with Kumkum in lead female roleSaiyan Se Bhaile Milanwa P. L. SantoshiLead role with Sayeeda Khan in lead female roleSaiyan Se Neha Lagaibe S. M. AbbasLead role with Naaz in lead female role1966Loha SinghKundan KumarLead role with Vijaya Chowdhary in lead female role1968 Vidhana Naach NachaweK Prasad ShuklaLead role with Mumtaz in lead female role1977DangalRati KumarLead role with Prema Narayan in lead female role; first color film in Bhojpuri1979Mai Ka LalRajpatiLead role with Prema Narayan in lead female role1980Jaagal Bhag HamaarS. N. TripathiLead role with Prema Narayan in lead female role1981Ganga GhatRajpatiShankerLead role with Prema Narayan in lead female role1982Bitiya Bhayeel SayaanRadhakantMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Jayshree T. in lead female role 1983 Sajai Da Maang HamaarRati Kumar Vijay Lead role with Padma Khanna in lead female roleSampoorna Tirtha YatraRajpatiLord Shiva Multi starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Madhu Malini in lead female role 1984 Bhaiya DoojQamar Narvi Multi starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Padma Khanna in lead female rolePaan Khaye Saiyan HamaarHimselfBhola Lead role with Bandini in lead female roleSaiyan Magan Pahelwani MeinRadhakant Multi starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Padma Khanna in lead female roleBairi SawaanPrem Singh Lead role with Rajni Sharma in lead female roleThakurayeenMeeni Thakur and Bhagwant Thakur Lead role with Padma Khanna in lead female role1985Ganga Maiya Tohar KiriyaNaresh KumarLead role with Padma Khanna in lead female role1986Ganga Jaisan Bhauji Hamaar Dilip BoseMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Kanan Kaushal in lead female roleGanga Hamaar Mai Dilip BoseMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Naaz in lead female roleGhar Grihasti Dilip BoseMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Bandini Mishra in lead female rolePaijaniya Aslam SheikhLead role with Hina Kausar and Seema Vaz in lead female rolesTulsi Sohe Hamaar Angna Rakesh PandeyMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Padma Khanna in lead female role1987Dharti Ki Aawaz KD SinghMulti starrer with Kunal Singh as co-lead and Padma Khanna in lead female roleChampa Chameli B ThakurLead role with Padma Khanna in lead female roleSajanwa Bairi Bhaile Hamaar Dilip BoseThakur Pratap SinghLead role with Dipika Chikhlia in lead female role1988Balma Mora BankaTriloknath BhatiaLead role with Amita Nangia and Seema Vaz in lead female roles1989Patoh Bitiya Aslam SheikhLead role with Bandini in lead female role Kaisan Banaul Sansar Dr. GurdeepLead role with Shraddha Verma in lead female role 1990Bhag Ki Lekha Kishore Kumar SinghLead role with Yasmin Khan in lead female role Hamaar Betwa Kishore Kumar SinghMulti starrer with Kunal Singh as co-lead and Jamuna in lead female role Piya Toote Na Piritia Hamaar KD SinghMulti starrer with Kunal Singh as co-lead and Padma Khanna in lead female rolePyara Bhaiya Dibakar BoseLead role with Bandini and Seema Vaz in lead female roles 1991Ganga Kahe Pukaar Ke Sri GoplalMulti starrer with Rakesh Pandey as co-lead and Poonam Dasgupta in lead female role1995Nehiya Lagawli Vipati Badhawli Trilok Nath BhatiaLead role with Bandini Mishra in lead female role2004Vidhana Tohre Des Mein Shilesh SrivastavaLead role with Swati Anand in lead female role Balma Bada NadaanHimselfRehmanSupporting role
Hindi films Year Title DirectorRole Notes 1960 Honeymoon Lekhraj Bakri Nadeem 1962 China Town Shakti SamantaPolice Inspector Ek Musafir Ek Hasina Raj Khosla Police Inspector Raaz Ki Baat Bolton Ci Nagi Kishore Rai Lead role with actress Simi Garewal in lead female role 1963 Mere Arman Mere Sapne Aravind Sen Prabha's dad 1964 Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein Kishore KumarDr. D'Silva Kohraa Biren Nag Ranjan 1965 Ek Saal Pehle Dharam Kumar Lead role with actress Sayeeda Khan in lead female role Sab Ka Ustad R Thakur Lead role with actress Kumkum in lead female role 1966 Labela Bhagwan PalavDr Sujit Lead role with actress Kumkum in lead female role Ladka Ladki Som Haskar Sujit Lal Bangla Jugal Kishore Raja Lead role with actress Jayanthi in lead female rolePati Patni SA AkbarGupta 1967 Lamboo in Hong Kong Harsukh Bhatt Lead role with actress Kumkum in lead female role Jaal Moni Bhattacharjee Sunder Singh 1968 Aulad Kundan KumarDr Mohan Lahu Pukarega S. N. Tripathi Lead role with actress Shabnam in lead female role Aankhen Ramanand Sagar Nadeem 1969 Gustakhi Maaf Rajkumar Bedi Shankar Gunda Mohammed Hussain Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke Deenanath Shastri Taxi Driver Aradhana Shakti Samanta Madan Verma Arun Verma's friend, playing the mouth organ in the song "Meri Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayengi Tu"Ittefaq Yash Chopra Police Inspector Diwan 1970Maharaja Naresh Saigal Shyamu Geet Ramanand Sagar Kunver Shamsher Singh Man Ki Ankhen Raghunath Jhalani Naresh Aggarwal Mangu Dada Maruti Kunver Shamsher Singh Lead role with actress Faryal in lead female role Murder on Highway Dharam Kumar Kunver Shamsher Singh Lead role with actress Sayeeda Khan in lead female role Maa Aur Mamta Asit Sen Naya Raasta Khalid Akthar Ramu Aan Milo Sajna Mukul Dutt Mohan Pardesi Kundan Kumar1971 Naag Pooja Shantilal Soni Lead role with actress Sanjana in lead female role Murder in Circus Dharam Kumar Lead role with actress Jaymala in lead female role Haathi Mere Saathi M. A. Thirumugham Gangu Ek Din Aadhi Raat Kamal SharmaAshok Lead role with actress Kumkum in lead female role Bikhre Moti Tapi Chanakya Gopi Gehra Raaz NiranjanRanjanLead role with actress Sofia in lead female role Haseenon Ka Devata Ravikant Nagaich Gopal 1972 Putlibai Ashok Rai Lead role with actress Jaymala in lead female role Yeh Gulistan Hamara Atma Ram Teju Gaon Hamara Shaher Tumhara Naresh Kumar Shyam C. Pandey Tangewala Naresh Kumar Zamindar Amar Prem Shakti Samanta Mahesh Sharma Mere Jeevan Saathi Ravikant Nagaich Bandagi K Shanker Kumar Jaanwar Aur Insaan Tapi Chanakya MohanJai Jwala Manohar Deepak Thakur Ranjeet Singh Lead role with actress Nazneen in lead female roleLalkar Ramanand Sagar Parchhaiyan Sharankumar Chand MohanShararat Manmohan Desai Vinod Kumar 1973 Chhalia Mukul Dutt Jalte Badan Ramanand Sagar Jhoom Utha Akash Y.N. Kapoor Lead role with actress Laxmi Chhaya in lead female roleJugnu Pramod Chakravarty Ghanshyam Das Jwaar Bhata A Subba Rao Ramesh Khanna Naag Mere Saathi Shantilal Soni Lead role with actress Sanjana in lead female roleNirdosh S. M. Sagar ShankerRaja Rani Sachin Bhowmick Ravi Rickshawala K. Shanker Manohar Suraj Aur Chanda T. Madhava Rao Maan Singh Vishnu Puran Shridhar Prasad Wohi Raat Wohi Awaaz Dev Kishan Yauwan Ranjan Bose Roop1974 Insaaniyat Prayag Raj Ram Hamrahi Anand Sagar Sujit Amir Garib Mohan Kumar Police Inspector AnandResham Ki Dori Atma Ram Dinesh Albeli Karunesh Thakur Badla Vijay Inspector Joshi Charitraheen Shakti Samanta Mr Khosla Roti Manmohan Desai Inspector 1975 Do Jasoos Naresh Kumar G L Sippy Sunehra Sansar A. Subba Rao Mohan Warrant Pramod Chakravorty Thompson Aakraman J Om Prakash Pratap Singh Badnaam Dilip Bose Advocate Lafange Harmesh Malhotra Beauty Contest Judge Phanda Somesh Joshi & V Mhatre 1976 Aadalat Narendra Bedi Sujit Singh Aap Beati Mohan Kumar Prakash Kapoor Barood Pramod Chakravorty Ratan Charas Ramanand Sagar Shaikh Mehbooba Shakti Samanta Dr. Vinod Bairaag Asit Sen Do Shatru Kewal Misra Diwan Samsher Singh Fauji Joginder Shelly 1977 Farishta Ya Qatil S. M. Abbas Gautam Kalabaaz Ashok Roy Malhotra Dildaar K Bapaiah Chokelal Ram Bharose Anand Sagar David Dharam Veer Manmohan Desai Rajkumar Sujan Singh Kasam Khoon Ki Ashok Roy Laxman Aadmi Sadak Ka Devendra Goel Madanmohan Dream Girl Pramod Chakravarty Sardar of the gypsies Ladki Jawan Ho Gayi Anand Dasani Zamaanat A Salaam Rocky 1978 Des Pardes Dev Anand Gangaram Nalayak Padmanabh Prem Aakhri Daku Prakash Mehra Trishna Anil Ganguly Vidya's husband 1979 Aatish Ambrish Sangal Khan The Great Gambler Shakti Samanta Marconi Khandaan Anil Ganguly Vikas G. Srivastav Dhongee Ashok Roy Ravi Khanna Gawaah A Salaam Hum Tere Ashiq Hain Prem Sagar Jackson Jaandaar SK Lutha Robert D'SouzaLadke Baap Se Badke Subhash Mukherjee Police Inspector Teen Cheharey YN Kapoor Police Officer Lead role with actress Anjana Mumtaz in lead female role1980 Guest House Shyam Ramsay & Tulsi Ramsay Kalia Dhan Daulat Harish Shah Sudhir Kumar The Burning Train Ravi Chopra Inspector Ranveer Agreement Anil Ganguly Deepak Takkar K Bapaiah Police Inspector Abdullah Sanjay KhanJameel Insaaf Ka Tarazu BR Chopra