Film comedian Rajendranath, who had a fairly long innings as a comedian from the late 1950s to the early 1990s, passed away in Mumbai on February 13, 2008, following a brief illness.

Rajendranath, the younger brother of well-known actor Premnath, was born on June 8, 1931 in Tikamgarh state, now Madhya Pradesh. His foray into acting began initially as a radio artiste. He then came to Bombay and joined the Indian Peoples’ Theatre Association (IPTA) and also did a stint at Prithvi Theatres.

On screen, Rajendranath first appeared unbilled on screen in the Nigar Sultana – Shyam starrer, Patanga (1949) where Gope was the main comedian. As Premnath turned producer, Rajendranath first found small parts in his brother’s films like Shagufa (1953), Prisoner of Golconda (1954) and Samundar (1957). Small parts in outside films like Filmistan’s Hum Sab Chor Hain (1956) too did not help till he was cast in Nasir Hussain’s Dil Deke Dekho (1959) and HS Rawail’s Shararat, the same year.

In fact, it was his association with Nasir Hussain that led to some of Rajendranath’s most famous work as a comedian. With Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961), Nasir Hussain gave him his most unforgettable character, Popatlal – a role he was to repeat in Hussain’s Pyar ka Mausam (1969) as well. The Nasir Hussain – Rajendranath team also worked and created laughs in Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963) and Baharon ke Sapne (1967).

Rajendranath modelled himself on Lou Costello of the famous Abbot and Costello team. His comic style invoked their burlesque comedy routines with Rajendranath always playing the clown in chaddis and the like.

Though Rajendranath had a long innings and supported a whole lot of heroes in the 1960s from Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor and Manoj Kumar to Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Dharmendra and moved smoothly into the 1970s with newer heroes like Rajesh Khanna, he could never rise to the level of Johnny Walker or Mehmood. The fact that he got typecast played a large factor in him being unable to reinvent himself. In that sense, he was the same buffoon in film after film. A pity because he always seemed capable of much more.

Other important films of Rajendranath include Bimal Roy’s Prem Patra (1962), Vijay Anand’s Tere Ghar ke Saamne (1963), Mujhe Jeeno Do (1963), Rajkumar (1964), An Evening in Paris (1967) where his role of a Sikh tourist outraged the Sikhs and some scenes of his had to be deleted, Purab aur Paschim (1970), The Train (1970), Tum Haseen Main Jawaan (1970) – also featuring perhaps his most famous on-screen song Munne ki Amma, Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) and Rafoo Chakkar (1975).