Many in the film industry start their career as child artists. But have you ever imagined how they look when they grow up and in which profession they are? Many artists continue their journey in the glamour world, while some change their paths. In the same situation, a child artist who worked with stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Anil Kapoor, captured the hearts of audiences in the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
Fahim Ajani (Raju Shrestha), popularly known as Master Raju, hails from Mumbai. Beginning his film career at the age of five, Master Raju has done over 200 films and was one of the most popular child actors of that time. Fahim was introduced to the industry by Sanjeev Kumar, who named him Master Raju after his character in Gulzar Sahab’s film Parichay. He retained the same name even after growing up. He also won the National Award for Best Child Actor for his performance in Chitchor.
Master Raju worked with almost every A-lister, including Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra and Anil Kapoor. Some of the hits in his filmography are Amar Prem, Daag, Deewar, Inkaar, Khud-Daar and Woh Saat Din.
In an interview, he said that in 1977, he got a fee of more than Rs 1 lakh. He said that he used to get Rs 10,000 per film in 1973. Master Raju revealed that while shooting for Deewangi with Shashi Kapoor, his face and hands were burned due to miscoordination in an action scene. During the shooting of Mamta, he almost drowned because he did not know how to swim.
As he grew up, Master Raju wanted to play villainous roles but was only getting positive characters. His films include Baaghi, Anari, Balwan, Saajan Chale Sasural and Diljale. However, he failed to establish himself as a leading actor.
Later, Fahim Ajani turned himself to the television world. After entering the TV, Master Raju played the character of Narad in about 3,000 episodes of Jai Hanuman. He has played many mythological characters in various serials, including Jai Hanuman, Navgraha Purana, Darshan Do Bhagwan, Jai Maa Durga and Shani Mahima. His television journey also included appearances in some episodes of CID and Ssshhhh…Koi Hai. He was last seen in the TV series Ziddi Dil Mane Na and the OTT film Ardh.
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