Inder Kumar

Personal life

He was born on 26 August 1973 in a Marwari family in Jaipur as Inder Kumar Saraf. He studied in Mumbai from St. Xavier's High School, Fort and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vidyalaya (Mumbai), and completed his graduation. His mentor in movies was film publicist Rajoo Kariya who introduced him to film producers during early days of his career. He had been married thrice. His first marriage was in 2003 with his mentor Rajoo Kariya's daughter Sonal Kariya and they separated that year after 5 months while his wife still pregnant with his first daughter Khushi. Before his death, which was a day before Khushi's birthday, he had been unsuccessfully trying to meet her for 3 years, he died without being able to meet her. He dated Isha Koppikar on and off for 11 years and on breakup with her when she married someone else, he married Kamaljeet Kaur (2009) on a rebound but soon split within 2 months due to irreconcilable differences. In 2013 he married Pallavi Sarraf with whom he has a daughter, Bhavana (born early 2014). he was considered close to Salman Khan's family who had recommended him for several movies. He faced medical and financial hardships during his life, but at the time of his death he was financially well off. His fee per film was INR 30 lakh and his net worth, including his Mumbai house where he died and Skoda car, was estimated to be nearly US$1 million (INR 6.5 crore). His favorite stars were Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Vaijanthimala Bali, Kareena Kapoor and Madonna. His favorite colors were Black and Blue. His favorite food was Rajma-Chawal and sweet Rabri.

Film career

He made his debut with 1996 film Masoom, featuring in over 20 movies in a career lasting over twenty one years. He had a promising start in 1990s with several notable films as a supporting actor such as Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye (2000), Gaja Gamini (2000), Maa Tujhhe Salaam (2002) and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002). He also appeared on television in the Star Plus serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi playing the part of Mihir Virani opposite Smriti Irani in 2002.

His career had started to suffer when he was bed ridden for five years due to a broken vertebrea from helicopter fall while doing his own stunt on the set of the film Maseeha in 2002. He went through hardship by 2004, suffered financial troubles, romantic breakups, depression and drug issues, when no one from the industry stood by him except Dolly Bindra. After a hiatus he returned to acting appearing in the Bengali film Agnipath in 2005 which flopped. After several flops, he attempted a comeback in 2009 with his role as Salman Khan's friend in Wanted which was a blockbuster hit but didnt help Inder's career. His last film was Yeh Dooriyan in 2011. He was shooting for a film titled Phati Padi Hai Yaar at the time of his death.

Controversies

On 25 April 2014, Kumar was arrested by the Versova police, after a 22 years old female model and aspiring actress registered a FIR alleging that he had raped and assaulted her with a promise of role in movies. He claimed it was a consensual relationship and she was seeking revenge after he ended the fling and went back to his wife. People of Bollywood distanced themselves from him and he was left with no friends, money or career when his daughter was only 15 months old. He was charged under sections 376 (rape), 324 (causing grievous hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Under the Indian law even the consensual sex in long-term fling can be claimed as rape by the woman, as the law says "consensual sex is rape when a man knows that he is not the husband of woman", which High Court observed is misused as a form of revenge by the jilted female lover to accuse the men of rape. On 9 May, the police asserted that the medical reports supported that the woman had been raped as well as assaulted. Kumar denied the allegations saying that he had had a consensual relationship with the woman. His wife Pallavi defended him fiercely in public with statement that he slipped by having a consensual fling and during two days of incidence the claimant was freely moving in and out of the her alone in cheerful mood to order food and buy alcohol to party at home with Inder. Inder apologized for leaving his wife for a short fling and he returned to his family. Subsequent to that, Kumar was granted bail on 10 June. Woman who accused him was arrested by police on 1 August 2014 in an unrelated case for robbing her sister's residence in the same locality of jewellery worth INR 10 lakh.

Death

On 28 July 2017, Inder Kumar died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Four Bungalows neighborhood of Andheri in Mumbai around 12.30 am and he was officially announced dead by 4 am.