Meet Saiyaara actor, who after Rs 2 crore debt was once forced to sell vegetables in front of son's school. Who is Rajesh Kumar?

Saiyaara is making waves at the box office, earning praise from both audiences and critics alike. The film introduced two debutants, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. But there’s one more actor who also grabbed headlines for all the right reasons is Rajesh Kumar. Most of us remember him as Rosesh Sarabhai from the beloved show Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. However, in Mohit Suri's directorial venture, he plays the role of Aneet Padda's father. But did you know that in 2017, the popular actor took an unexpected turn in his career?

Rajesh Kumar was once in Rs 2 crore debt

Leaving behind the bright lights of the entertainment industry, Rajesh decided to pursue a passion far removed from acting - farming. What followed was a challenging and humbling journey that tested his resilience. He launched a “family farming” business, aiming to provide fresh produce directly to customers.

His vision was to create a sustainable venture that not only supported his family but also pointed out the importance of farming as a respectable and valuable profession.


“A few of them subscribed to it, the rest of them chose to ignore it. There’s a long list of people who at first said ‘Wow, what an amazing idea’ and then ignored me. They were the people with whom I had shared screen space,” he revealed during an interview with Siddharth Kannan.

The startup, however, struggled to gain traction. Facing poor sales and operational difficulties, Kumar found himself selling vegetables outside his son’s school to make ends meet. This unusual sight caught public attention.

“It happened so that when my son saw me selling vegetables outside his school, he went to his teachers and said, ‘Would you please buy vegetables from my dad?’ He was in third grade at that time. Then all of his classmates went to different classrooms to inform them I was selling vegetables, and requested the teachers to buy it from me,” he recalled.

However, the Saiyaara actor was determined to change perceptions. He wanted to demonstrate that selling vegetables was not a menial job but one that involved hard work and dedication. "My purpose was to make children acknowledge that it’s a great job," he explained.

Despite his dedication, the financial toll was heavy. Over five years, Rajesh Kumar incurred losses amounting to Rs 12 to Rs 15 lakh, adding to an existing debt of nearly Rs 1 crore. To streamline his business, he invested in developing a custom app to manage orders and transactions, hoping to bring professionalism and efficiency. Unfortunately, the app developer betrayed him, resulting in further financial losses. Within months, Kumar was forced to shut down his farming startup.

Rajesh Kumar's comeback

After enduring these setbacks, Rajesh Kumar decided to return to the entertainment industry. He made a notable comeback with a role as a math teacher in the acclaimed web series Kota Factory Season 2. He also appeared in films like Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, a sci-fi romantic comedy starring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s mystery drama Rautu Ka Raaz.