When Bollywood needed a quintessential honest cop, Sujit Kumar stepped up, his image forever linked to the khaki uniform. Diverse as his roles were—from laughs to intensity—police inspectors defined his legacy. Hailing from a simple background, his journey from law student to screen icon is pure cinematic serendipity.
Born Shamsher Bahadur Singh in 1934 in Chakiya, Varanasi, to agrarian roots, Sujit excelled in studies, eyeing the bar. A pivotal college play introduced him to Phani Majumdar, whose spotting of his vocal strength and charisma summoned him to film city.
‘Taxi Driver’ in 1954 launched him into small parts: allies, baddies, enigmas, building fanbase steadily. ’60s-’70s thrillers paved way, but lawman roles exploded his fame.
Starting with ‘Ittefaak’s’ memorable detective, he commanded screens in ‘Amiri Garibi,’ ‘The Burning Train,’ ‘Takkar,’ ‘Boxer,’ ‘Kaidhi,’ ‘Haqeeqat,’ ‘Kala Dhanda Gore Log,’ ‘Tiranga,’ ‘Krantiveer.’ Unrivaled in cop portrayals, he became the face of filmi police.
Bhojpuri cinema’s trailblazer, superstar via ‘Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari,’ ‘Bidesiya,’ ‘Dangal,’ ‘Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamar,’ he owned the region.
With wife Kiran, he produced ‘Khel,’ ‘Daraar,’ ‘Champion,’ earning lifetime honors. Succumbing to cancer on February 5, 2010, pre-birthday, Sujit’s contributions resonate eternally.