Veteran actor was once a busier star than Amitabh Bachchan: ‘He would be asked to sit aside when I came..’

Raju Shrestha, popularly known as Master Raju, ranked among the most sought-after child performers of the 1970s. Looking back at that remarkable chapter of his life during a recent discussion with Siddharth Kannan, he shared an interesting memory from the making of the 1975 film Faraar. At the time, he was juggling numerous projects, which made his schedule far more packed than many senior actors. He recalled that during the shoot, Amitabh Bachchan would arrive promptly on set, yet often had to wait because the young Raju’s scenes were given priority due to his tight timetable.

Raju explained that Bachchan was known for his discipline and punctuality. In those days, however, the legendary actor did not have as many assignments lined up as the child star did. This reversal of expectations amused Raju even years later. Whenever Bachchan reached the location on time, the crew would first film his close-up shots. But once Raju arrived, the production team would shift focus to completing the child actor’s portions quickly, as he had limited hours available before heading to another commitment. During that period, Bachchan would patiently step aside while Raju’s scenes were wrapped up. Only after the youngster finished his work would the unit resume filming Bachchan’s remaining shots.

Born Fahim Ajani on August 15, 1966, Raju adopted the screen name Master Raju and built a flourishing career in cinema and television from a very young age. He featured in several acclaimed films across the decade, including Gulzar’s Parichay, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Bawarchi released in 1972, Yash Chopra’s Daag: A Poem of Love in 1973, Basu Chatterjee’s Chitchor in 1976, and Gulzar’s Kitaab in 1977.


Over the course of his career, he appeared in nearly 200 films along with a handful of television projects. His performance in Chitchor earned him the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, cementing his reputation as one of the most talented young actors of his generation.