Rajendra Gupta
Born (1947-10-17) 17 October 1947
Panipat, East Punjab, India
(now in Haryana, India)
OccupationActor
Years active1985–present
SpouseVeena Gupta

Rajendra Gupta (born 17 October 1947) is an Indian film, television and theatre actor[1] and director who is known for his television roles of Adina Beg Khan Sahib e Azam in 2010 series of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Pandit Jagannath in the 1990s Doordarshan fantasy television series Chandrakanta and Sudha's father – Jagat Narayan – in the 1998–2001 Sony TV drama Saaya.

An alumnus of the National School of Drama (1972 batch), Gupta had worked in numerous television serials and films. He played the role of the Mukhiya (village headman) of Champaner in the Oscar-nominated 2001 film Lagaan. He also played the role of Kesri Narayan in the TV serial Chidiya Ghar, that aired on Sab TV. He is also part of hindi haryanvi big budget film Rukke Padge[2] with actor Gaurav Prateek.[2] Currently, he is portraying the role of Pandit Jagannath Mishra in Jagannath Aur Purvi Ki Dosti Anokhi at Sony TV.

Life

Gupta was born in a business family in Panipat and did his graduation from the Kurukshetra University.[3] His father known as Master Ji ran a woolen textiles business but Gupta had no interest in the business; his interests lay, instead, in dramatics and theatre. Gupta met wife-to-be, Veena, a Christian, in Indore when he went there to take part in a college play. Since Veena's parents did not agree to their marriage, the couple eloped to Bhopal, got married, and then returned home.[4]

In 1972, Gupta enrolled himself at the New Delhi-based National School of Drama and completed his post-graduation in direction.[3]

Gupta's daughter, Ravee Gupta, is a television actress who is married to television actor Manoj Bidwai.[5]

Career

Films and television

Gupta and his family moved to Bombay in 1985 and he started working in television serials; three years later he entered films. Gupta has acted in innumerable television serials and films; so much so that in 1990, his name was included in the Limca Book of Records for appearing in the highest number of television serials – over 40 of them.[4]

In a 2001 interview with the Times of India, he mentioned that of all the films that he has done, he is proud of his work in Lagaan (2001) and Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989).[4] Since then he has gone on to work in critically acclaimed films such as Amu, Sehar and Guru. In the same interview, he said that among his television roles, his work in the Syed Mirza-Kundan Shah serial Intezaar (as the Senior Station Master), the fantasy series Chandrakanta (as Pandit Jagarnath) and Saaya (as Jagat Narayan) were among his best.[4]

Stage

In spite of having played meaty parts in many films and television serials, theatre is Gupta's first love – his ultimate destination.[3] He has acted in numerous plays and has directed at least twenty of his own.

Gupta is the actor-director of plays such as Sarphire and Jaheez Hatyare, both based on writer-philosopher Albert Camus' French play The Just Assassins,[6] and Sooraj Ki Antim Kiran Se Sooraj Ke Pehle Kiran Tak, based on Surendra Verma's 1965 Hindi play.[7]

Gupta has acted in many Hindi plays, but Chanakyashastra[8] and Kanyadaan, a play by noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar,[9] are two plays he did in English.

Rajendra Gupta and noted actress Neena Gupta run a theatre production company – Sahaj Productions.[10]

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

As director

  • Sarphire / Jaheez Hatyare (1985, 2003, 2004, 2006)
  • Sooraj Ki Antim Kiran Se Sooraj Ke Pehle Kiran Tak
  • Dikhti..Khoob Ho![13]

As actor

  • Sarphire
  • Sar Sar Sarla[4]
  • Sooraj Ki Antim Kiran Se Sooraj Ke Pehle Kiran Tak
  • Chanakyashastra
  • Kanyadaan
  • Dikhti..Khoob Ho!

Awards

  • Gupta won a RAPA Award in 2000 for his performance in Saaya.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Rajendra Gupta to do cameo in 'Kya Haal Mr Paanchal'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 Hungama, Bollywood (1 December 2009). "Rukke Padge Cast List | Rukke Padge Movie Star Cast | Release Date | Movie Trailer | Review- Bollywood Hungama". Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Theatre has to be innovative for survival". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Serials today are just like numbers'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "'I was petrified to play Ravan's mother'". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  6. ↑ Deepa Punjani's interview with Rajendra Gupta Archived 7 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Sooraj Ki Antim Kiran Se..." Archived from the original on 29 December 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  8. ↑ "'Plays should reflect real issues'". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ↑ "Refashioning classics for new audiences". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  10. ↑ "Bold and dutiful". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 January 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  11. ↑ "Byomkesh Bakshi: Ep#11 - Tasvir Chor - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  12. ↑ "Byomkesh Bakshi: Ep#25 - Balak Jasoos - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  13. ↑ "MTG Hindi Drama – Dikhti..Khoob Ho!". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  14. ↑ "Dead actors walking". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2008.
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