Sarabhai vs Sarabhai's Rajesh Kumar opens up about his struggles; from farming to acting comeback

Rajesh Kumar, famous for his role as Rosesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, has made a notable comeback in his acting career with a part in Binny And Family, filmed in the UK. Recently, he shared his difficult journey through financial struggles after leaving acting to try his hand at farming. 

Although he is now a successful farmer, his initial experiences were filled with challenges. In a heartfelt interview, he recounted how floods devastated his crops, leaving him with only Rs 2,500 in his bank account. He faced harassment from debt collectors and had to sell vegetables outside his children’s school to survive.

In a conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, Rajesh explained that he began farming in 2019 by renting 20 acres of land in Palghar. His excitement soon turned to disappointment when the 15,000 saplings he planted were destroyed 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 said. His problems didn’t stop there; the Covid-19 lockdown interrupted his second farming attempt, preventing him from caring for his land for three months, which led to a loss of 75 percent of his crops.

When he resumed farming in November, he transported cow dung in his car for fertilization, which his children found embarrassing. Just when he thought things were improving, a fire swept through his farm, destroying half of his crops. “I was shattered. I thought I couldn’t continue. It just didn’t seem possible,” he recalled.

Despite these setbacks, Rajesh switched to vegetable farming and set up a stall outside his son’s school. However, financial pressures escalated with bounced EMIs and visits from credit card debt collectors. It was a heartbreaking time for him. “Finally, I left the farm and went back to acting,” he admitted. His acting career reignited with a role in Binny And Family, but he still faced financial difficulties, struggling to provide for his children. “I had just Rs 2,500 in my bank account. I couldn’t even buy chocolates for my kids,” he revealed.

Since then, Rajesh has appeared in Kota Factory 2 and taken on roles in projects with Shahid Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, marking a significant return to acting.