When we talk about comedians in the history of Hindi cinema, Rajendra Nath’s name will definitely feature prominently. With his unique comic timing, witty dialogue delivery and memorable characters, he created a special place in the hearts of the audience in the 1960s and 70s. This was the golden era when veteran comedians like Johnny Walker and Mehmood were already dominant in Hindi films, but Rajendra Nath proved with his different style of comedy that one can be recognized even among the stars.
Dev Anand and Asha Parekh were in lead roles in the 1961 film ‘Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai’. The supporting actor in this film was Rajendra Nath, whose character’s name was Popatlal. His great chemistry with Dev Anand, comic timing and that iconic look of Popatlal became such a hit that ‘Popatlal’ became his second name.
This film took him to every home and brought him success in many subsequent films. Rajendra Nath worked in more than 200 Hindi and Punjabi films. His comedy still makes audiences laugh when they watch old films, and his contribution to the comedy history of Hindi cinema is immortal.
In the 60s and 70s, Rajendra Nath had established himself as a comedian in Hindi cinema. He was doing films with all the big actors of that era, but this artist also had to struggle to establish himself in Hindi cinema. In the initial phase of his career, he worked in Prithvi Theatre. Whatever small roles he got, he played them.
He has taught today’s actors to concentrate on their performance without worrying about small or big roles, if the performance is good then there will be applause in the theatres. He was a comic actor who could dominate even the lead roles of films.
Rajendra Nath was born on June 8, 1931 in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. He died of a heart attack on 13 February 2008. Rajendra Nath’s comedy still brings a smile while watching old films. The character of ‘Popatlal’ remained the brightest chapter of his career, which will always remain immortal in the comedy history of Hindi cinema.
O’Romeo BO Day 1 Prediction: Will Shahid Kapoor’s O’Romeo become the biggest opener of the year 2026? Will ‘Border 2’ break the record? Know- Prediction
