MUMBAI, India — On the 24th death anniversary of Ashok Kumar, a rare archival interview resurfaced online, offering an intimate look at the early struggles and unexpected beginnings of one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated icons.
A video posted by Prasar Bharati Archives on Instagram showed the legendary actor recounting how he had originally set out to become a filmmaker. He recalled approaching a senior industry figure for a recommendation letter, hoping to go to Germany to study direction. “I went to him and asked him to give me a recommendation letter… He said, ‘No one will teach you. We have come here because we want to include all the educated people in films.’”
Ashok Kumar explained that, in those days, “educated people didn’t join the film industry. And when they did, they were thrown out.” The senior figure encouraged him to stay, telling him to learn everything within the industry itself.
The actor, who entered films as a technician rather than a performer, admitted he was initially reluctant to act in romantic scenes. “I didn’t come here for acting; I was a technician. I asked him to let me act in a love scene from a distance,” he said. When told that romance could not be performed “from a distance,” he confessed, “I said my father and mother wouldn’t agree.” Eventually, he was persuaded — and his acting journey began.
His early films found immediate success. “The first film, Jeevan, was a hit. Then Achyut Karna was a hit. He delivered seven hits in a row,” the video recounted, reflecting a meteoric rise that would define his legacy.
Ashok Kumar, widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, died in 2001 at the age of 90 due to heart failure at his residence in Chembur. (Source: IANS)
