For most people, a Rs 2 crore debt and a failed farming venture would be reason enough to walk away and never look back. For Rajesh Kumar – best known as the lovably dramatic Rosesh from the beloved sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai – it became the foundation of something far more unexpected.
Speaking to Bollywood Bubble, the actor revealed that his obsession with organic farming has not only brought him back from the financial brink, but has also inspired his two sisters – settled abroad for over 25 years – to quit their high-paying jobs and join him in the fields of Bihar.
From 15,000 destroyed saplings to a Rs 2 crore hole
The story of Rajesh Kumar’s farming journey is one of genuine hardship. In an earlier interview with Dainik Bhaskar, the actor had revealed that he rented 20 acres of land in Palghar in 2019, throwing himself into organic agriculture with characteristic enthusiasm.
What followed was a brutal series of setbacks. Over 15,000 saplings were wiped out in an unexpected flood – an area, he noted, that had never seen flooding before. “That area had never seen flooding before, but that year, heavy rains wiped out everything. It was a very rough start,” he said.
Three separate attempts at farming failed in succession.
The financial fallout was severe. EMIs began bouncing, credit card agents started showing up at his door, and the actor found himself walking away from the farm with mounting losses.
At his lowest point, as he told Bollywood Bubble, he was left with just Rs 2,500 in his bank account while on a shoot in the UK. “I travelled back and forth twice during those 24 days, but I couldn’t even bring back chocolates for my kids,” he said. He eventually set up a small vegetable cart outside his son’s school – a humbling moment for an actor who had been a household name for years. By the time the dust settled, Rajesh had accumulated a debt of over Rs 2 crore.
Sisters fly in from the US and Finland – as a birthday gift
What makes Rajesh Kumar’s story remarkable is not just his own resilience, but the ripple effect his passion created in his family. In the interview, he shared an incident he described as both funny and deeply moving.
“After I became obsessed with agriculture, my sisters – who have been citizens of the US and Finland for the past 25 years – decided to join me,” he said. Around his 50th birthday in January this year, his elder sister resigned from her job in America and flew to India. “That was her birthday gift to me. She came to Bihar and told me, ‘You take a backseat and focus on acting, I’ll handle farming here.’ Because of her, my younger sister also resigned and said she would join us in March.”
The transition, however, has not been without its own comic complications. “Now they call and complain about not getting proper internet in our village,” Rajesh told Bollywood Bubble with characteristic humour. “We are still on 2G connectivity. When they approached officials, they were told it would take a long time for 5G to reach.”
As for the debt that once loomed over him, Rajesh is measured but optimistic. “I’m out of that financial cycle now. Only about 10–15% of the debt remains,” he said – bringing the outstanding amount down to approximately Rs 20 lakh from a peak of Rs 2 crore.
He also hinted at what comes next: “Soon, I am going to surprise people with something new – still related to farming, but something unique.” Rajesh has returned to acting without abandoning his agricultural ambitions, balancing both worlds with the same stubbornness that got him through the worst of it.