Actor Rajesh Kumar, fondly remembered for his iconic role as Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, recently opened up about the immense financial hardships he faced after quitting acting to pursue farming. Though Rajesh has now successfully established himself as a farmer, his early days were fraught with setbacks. In a candid interview, he revealed how floods destroyed his crops, leaving him with just Rs 2,500 in his bank account. Debt collectors visited his home, and he was forced to sell vegetables outside his children’s school just to make ends meet.
In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Rajesh shared that he took up farming in 2019 after renting 20 acres of land in Palghar. His initial excitement turned into disappointment when the 15,000 saplings he planted were wiped out by unexpected floods. “That area had never seen a flood before, but it rained heavily that year, wiping out all the plants. It was a very rough start,” he recalled.
Unfortunately, his challenges didn’t end there. Rajesh’s second attempt at farming was thwarted by the Covid-19 lockdown, which prevented him from tending to his land for three months, resulting in the loss of 75 percent of his crops. When he resumed farming in November, he began transporting cow dung in his car to fertilise the crops, a decision that even led his children to refuse to ride in the car. Just as things were looking up, a fire ravaged his farm, destroying half of the crops. “I was shattered. I thought I couldn’t continue. It just didn’t seem possible,” he revealed.
Undeterred, Rajesh pivoted to vegetable farming and set up a stall outside his son’s school to sell his produce. However, financial pressures mounted as EMIs bounced, and credit card debt collectors began visiting his home. It was a devastating period for him. “Finally, I left the farm and went back to acting,” he said.
Rajesh’s acting career picked up again with a role in Binny And Family, filmed in the UK. However, he was still struggling financially and could barely afford essentials for his children. “I had just Rs 2,500 in my bank account. I couldn’t even buy chocolates for my kids,” he shared.
Rajesh has since appeared in Kota Factory 2 and landed roles in projects starring Shahid Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, marking his return to acting.
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