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Jubilee Kumar The Life and Times of a Superstar
Known to generations of cinema-lovers as the evergreen hero of long-running blockbuster hits like Dil Ek Mandir, Ayee Milan ki Bela, Arzoo and Sangam, among others, Rajendra Kumar Tuli was truly the 'Jubilee Star' of Hindi cinema in the 1960s. Jubilee Kumar is the so-far-untold story of the man behind the superstar - one who went from riches to rags early in life, but whose determination, prudence and humility saw him surmount countless hurdles and win the affection and admiration of colleagues and fans alike. A dispossessed refugee following Partition, Kumar's struggles intensified as he travelled from Sialkot to Bombay to try his luck in films, suffering homelessness and hunger before he got a break as an assistant director. Overcoming both prejudice in the industry and his own insecurities, he eventually rose from playing small roles in films to unimaginable fame and popularity as a leading man and a respected producer. Touching candidly upon his life both onscreen and off it, this intimate account reveals Kumar - often through his own reminiscences and the recollections of others - as a hard-headed businessman, a generous and empathetic senior colleague, a gallant co-star to his female leads, a good-natured rival to peers and, above all, an upright and principled family man who rose above the many temptations that are an inevitable part of life in the Indian film industry. A riveting tale of struggle and stardom, fame and disillusionment, love, heartbreak and loss, Jubilee Kumar unwraps the many layers of an icon whose achievements and charisma few of his rivals or successors have been able to match.
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Deedara aka Dara Singh
This is the remarkable story of Rustam-e-Hind Dara Singh, a man who epitomized unbridled masculinity, super human strength and incredible grit. He was the first Indian wrestler to fight the toughest in the world — King Kong, Ray Golden, Lou Thesz and Ray Apollon — and emerge as the invincible world champion. But this is also the story about a young Sikh boy called Deedara, who was pulled out of school to work in his father’s farm; who was coerced into a teenage marriage; who did petty jobs in Singapore; and finally strode like a lion into wrestling arenas across the world. As one of the first stars of Hindi stunt films, Dara Singh mesmerized his audiences with his rugged looks. And in 1986, while essaying the role of Hanuman in the iconic TV series Ramayan, he was deified by the entire nation. Deedara aka Dara Singh! is a fascinating account of an extraordinary man, who started his life in the most ordinary way, but became an icon for an entire generation.