‘Saudagar’ Turns 34: When director Ravi Dewan revealed on-set tension between Raaj Kumar and Dilip Kumar

When 'Saudagar' hit theatres in 1991, audiences were mesmerised by the rare pairing of two cinematic giants Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar. On-screen, their chemistry was magnetic, but behind the scenes, things were far from cordial.

Speaking on Sutradhar with Vineet Rai, according to veteran action director Ravi Dewan, the tension between the two often surfaced in subtle yet telling ways during filming. Dewan recalled an intense death scene where all eyes were fixed on Dilip Kumar, except for Raaj Kumar’s. With no shot scheduled for him that day, Raaj quietly placed his chair eight feet away, facing the opposite direction. This was seemingly indifferent to the moment.

The waterfall incident that spoke volumes

One particularly memorable episode took place during a shoot at a hill station. While couples and fans flocked to click photos with Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar wandered off to a nearby waterfall. There, he pulled up a chair and sat knee-deep in the icy water. When director Subhash Ghai eventually asked why, Raaj quipped, “Yahan photo kheenchne koi nahi aayega” (“No one will come here to take photos”). For Dewan, this was Raaj in his element — unpredictable, calculated, and often aloof from the crowd’s attention.

Clashes, retakes, and an old grudge

Raaj Kumar’s quirks extended beyond avoiding fan interactions. Dewan revealed that in one rope-pulling scene with Amrish Puri, Raaj insisted on multiple retakes despite the first take going perfectly. In a punch scene, he delivered such force that it caused Puri genuine discomfort. Dilip and Raaj's cold war reportedly began during 'Paigham' (1959), when Raaj allegedly struck Dilip too hard in a scene, prompting the latter to vow never to work with his contemporaries again. Fate, however, had other plans, reuniting them for 'Saudagar'.

Despite their personal distance, 'Saudagar' emerged as a commercial success.