Rakesh Pandey, 70s Hindi film star & Bhojpuri actor, no more

New Delhi: Rakesh Pandey, the hero of Basu Chatterjee’s seminal New Wave film, Sara Akash (1969), who eventually attained box-office stardom in Bhojpuri cinema with Balam Pardesia (1979), passed away following a cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Friday. He was 76, as per online information.Gemini’s Ek Gaon Ki Kahani (1975), director Lekh Tandon’s Andolan (1975), Mera Rakshak (1978) and Dharti Maiyya (1981, Bhojpuri) are some of his other remembered films. He also had a small but effective role in Dil Chahta Hai (2001).Pandey was born in the hill town of Nahan in Himachal Pradesh. His father was the rajguru (royal priest) in the estate of the Raja of Sirmaur. After graduation, he joined the FTII, Pune. Pandey got his big break in Sara Akash, where he played a college student forced to get married and refusing as revenge to talk to his wife. Actor-director Subhash Ghai was initially considered for the role. “But finally I zeroed in on Rakesh Pandey. I wanted someone leaner and he looked more suitable for the role," Chatterji told this reporter in 2011.Sara Akash was critically acclaimed and became a minor box-office success. Lovers of old Hindi cinema might also remember him for the small role of Rajesh Khanna’s brother-in-law in Amar Prem (1972). But thereafter the hits deserted him.Pandey played the male lead in several other movies including BR Ishara’s Dil Ki Rahein (1973). He is said to be chosen by the producer over Amitabh Bachchan for the patriotic saga Andolan (1975). He later acted as the bad guy in Chinappa Devar’s Mera Rakshak, a Mithun starrer with a goat in a crowd-pleasing part.His fortunes improved after producer Nazir Hussain’s superhit Balam Pardesia. Nazir Hussain had initially confused him for someone from UP or Bihar. Along with Sujit Kumar, he became one of the two major stars of the regional film industry in the 1980s.“I normally charged Rs 1.5 lakhs for a leading role in a Hindi film those days, but for Balam Pardesia, I was paid Rs 25,000. After the film became a superhit, I started getting Rs 1 lakh per Bhojpuri film,’ he told this reporter in 2008. Dharti Maiya (1981), in which he made a special appearance, also became a superhit.Pandey recalled being pampered during the shootings of these films in typical feudal style in the villages of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. ‘I used to be massaged with mustard oil before my bath at the village tubewell. People showered me with so much love and affection that I felt I was one of them.’He also formed a popular pair with Padma Khanna in Bhojpuri films. The duo was known as the Dharmendra-Hema of Bhojpuri films in the 1980s. Some of his other Bhojpuri films were Bhaiyya Dooj, Saiyan Magan Pahelwani Mein (My lover’s busy wrestling), Roos Gaiyle Saiyyan Hamar (My lover is sulking), Chanwa Ke Take Chakor (The moon looks at the chakor bird).He also directed two films: Bansuriya Baaje Ganga Teer (The Flute Played by the River Ganga, 1984) and Tulsi Sohe Angna Hamaar (The Tulsi Sleeps in my Courtyard, 1985).Pandey kept working in films and tv till the very end. Among his noted tv series was Devi (2002-04). He also played the role of Sachchidananda Sinha, the first president of Constituent Assembly in Shyam Benegal’s mini TV series, Samvidhan (2014).