Actor Rajesh Kumar, best known for his role as Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, recently shared the challenges he faced after leaving acting to pursue farming. In a candid interview, Rajesh revealed the immense financial difficulties he encountered during his early days as a farmer. Despite successfully establishing himself now, his initial journey was riddled with hardships, including devastating floods and mounting debts.
Rajesh began farming in 2019 by renting 20 acres of land in Palghar. Initially excited, he planted 15,000 saplings, but his plans were quickly derailed when unexpected floods wiped out all his crops. “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 said, recalling his disappointment.
His troubles did not end there. The Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 prevented him from tending to his land for three months, resulting in another significant loss—this time, 75 percent of his crops. When he returned to farming in November, he resorted to transporting cow dung in his car to fertilize the crops, a move that even caused his children to refuse to ride in the car. As things started to look up, a fire ravaged his farm, destroying half of his crops.
Rajesh’s financial situation worsened, forcing him to sell vegetables outside his children’s school to make ends meet. Debt collectors began visiting his home as his EMIs bounced, adding further stress to his already dire situation. Reflecting on this difficult period, Rajesh shared, “I was shattered. I thought I couldn’t continue. It just didn’t seem possible.”
Rajesh decided to return to acting and he landed a role in Binny and Family, which was filmed in the UK, but he continued to struggle financially. “I had just Rs 2,500 in my bank account. I couldn’t even buy chocolates for my kids,” he admitted.
Fortunately, his acting career picked up once again. He appeared in Kota Factory 2 and secured roles in projects featuring Shahid Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, marking a significant comeback in the industry.
