Raj Babbar - Career

Career

He trained in the Method school of acting at NSD, which is involved in Street Theatre. After his training in New Delhi he moved to Mumbai to try his luck. He started his film career opposite Reena Roy, one of the well known actresses of that time. He gained notoreity for the movie 'Insaaf Ka Taraazu', in which his was a horrific portrayal of a rapist, who cruelly assaults the heroine and later his sister, and in the end, gets shot for his deeds. Babbar was convincing in the role of a cruel, sadist, bitchy character, but turned down many offers that poured in after the success of the movie, in which he had to again reprise the role of a rapist.

He was fortunate to be part of the B. R. camp, which offered him many strong positive roles in their movies. He became a consistent feature of the B. R. Chopra banner; Nikaah with Deepak Parashar and Salma Agha, Aaj Ki Aawaz with Smita Patil, with whom he had an affair and subsequently married, despite being married with two children at the time.

He also achieved success in Punjabi cinema as he gave remarkable performances in Chann Pardesi (1980) and Long Da Lishkara (1986) - two arthouse movies with serious themes treated in a realistic manner - a far cry from the melodramatic & almost hysterical tenor of most Punjabi films of the time.

He appeared in the introductory episode of the famous Indian TV series Mahabharat, as king Bharat.

He also starred in the hit Punjabi films Aasra Pyar Da (1983), Marhi Da Diva (1989), Mahaul Theek Hai (1999), Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000), Yaaran Naal Baharan (2005), and Ek Jind Ek Jaan (2006). It has been said that Babbar often does Punjabi films for free, as an act of generosity to Punjabi cinema. He also acted as Bharat in the B R Chopra's hindi television seriel Mahabharat