Typically, a film’s success is closely tied to its director, producer, and cast. Yet, in 1981, a unique Bollywood film broke the mould by becoming a box office sensation without the director’s name appearing anywhere on screen.
Love Story, directed by Rahul Rawail, saw his credit deliberately omitted, a rare and perhaps singular occurrence in Bollywood history. Despite this unusual circumstance, the film went on to become a major blockbuster. The film’s music, composed by RD Burman with lyrics by Anand Bakshi, was immensely popular.
Love Story marked the debut of superstar Rajendra Kumar’s son, Kumar Gaurav, who starred opposite Vijayta Pandit. The two became overnight sensations, winning the hearts of audiences nationwide. Interestingly, Kumar Gaurav and Vijayta Pandit fell in love during the film’s production.
Though Rahul Rawail directed the film, he was denied credit. In an interview, Rawail revealed that during the final stages of filming, he had a disagreement with producer Rajendra Kumar, which led him to remove his name from the credits. Rawail recounted the episode: “After the film was completed and the mixing was underway, Trishul had just been released, featuring a song with Waheeda Rehman and Sanjeev Kumar. Rajendra Kumar requested a similar song be shot with Vidya Sinha for Love Story. I refused, which angered him.”
He continued, “Rajendra Kumar approached the Directors’ Association regarding the dispute. At that time, the members sided with him. I made it clear I did not want my name associated with the film. They threatened to give my name to anyone else. I insisted, ‘Either I get my name, or no one does.’ I also demanded my agreed fee of Rs 50,000; I accepted Rs 25,000 and asked for the other Rs 25,000 to be donated. This further infuriated Rajendra Kumar.”
Kumar Gaurav became an instant star with Love Story, but his fame was short-lived. None of his subsequent films matched the success of his debut. The 1986 film Naam owes part of its success to Sanjay Dutt, not Kumar Gaurav. It is said Kumar Gaurav was reluctant to work with new actresses, declining several films that featured newcomers and even refusing to work with Mandakini.
During the filming, Kumar Gaurav and Vijayta Pandit fell in love. Vijayta once said in an interview, “I was only 14 years old. Bunty, or Kumar Gaurav, was the first boy I ever hugged. We both fell in love. My elder sister, Maya, used to stop me from spending time with Bunty, but love is love. When Rajendra Kumar found out, he was furious.” In response, Rajendra Kumar arranged for Kumar Gaurav’s engagement to Raj Kapoor’s daughter, Rima Kapoor, which Vijayta attended.
Despite the engagement, Kumar Gaurav promised Vijayta’s mother he would marry her daughter. He even swore on a Tulsi garland. Eventually, Kumar Gaurav broke off his engagement with Rima Kapoor and married Namrata Dutt, daughter of Sunil Dutt.
Following the blockbuster success of Love Story, many filmmakers wanted to cast Kumar Gaurav and Vijayta Pandit together, but Rajendra Kumar did not approve. He ensured Vijayta was removed from every film, a decision that ultimately hampered Kumar Gaurav’s career. Vijayta Pandit’s career, too, did not flourish thereafter.
Born on August 25, 1967, Vijayta Pandit has been married twice. Her first marriage was in 1986 to film director Sameer Malkan, whom she met on the set of Car Thief. The marriage ended in divorce. She later married musician Adesh Shrivastava, who sadly passed away in 2015. Vijayta comes from a family immersed in music, with brothers Jatin and Lalit Pandit being well-known music directors.
