Rajender Singh Pahl, President of Star Promotions Inc, shares going through a difficult time given the pandemic. Things are looking up now slowly. A known name in Bollywood and in Indian-American community, he has organised over 125 Bollywood shows and concerts in the US with A-listers like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai, Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and many others. He looks back at how and where it all started.
Hailing from Rajasthan, Rajender Singh Pahl has been born and raised in a middle-class family. “Like everyone else I too dreamt of doing something big and respectful. When I was a child, I never thought that I would go to such great places and meet new people. I am very lucky and happy that I have reached such great heights,” he says.
While moving out of Rajasthan, Rajendra was actively pursuing politics. He was a social worker in Rajasthan.
“At a very young age, I had earned my name and from there I had come to the US only for two months and couldn’t go back. My parents, who were in the US, didn’t want me to go back because they thought that if I go back into politics then I would get spoiled. I had known Anil Kapoor ji for quite a long time and he guided me when I got stuck. At that time, my very first show was with Dharmendra Ji, Sonu Nigam and Pakistani singer Reshma. In this show, Mamta Kulkarni was also there. Anil Kapoor ji is like a godfather to me. He is a dear friend and brother,” he adds.
Sharing his experience of working with celebrities, he adds, “When you start your journey from a small town, you are quite immature and in my mind I just wanted to earn my self-respect. Whatever work I have done, I have done with a lot of self-respect. I have realized that if you are professional and working in the right way then it will be a great experience for you. Show business is one such business where there are lots of ups and downs. There is stress and anxiety as well. By God’s grace we have handled everything well.”
On organizing over 125 successful concerts in the US so far, he adds, “I would say that artists just come for one day and an organizer is busy working on it for at least 3 to 4 months. My experience of working with Bachchan Ji is amazing. He is very down-to-earth. I have done around 5-6 shows with Sharukh Khan. He is very professional and interacts very well with the public. There is one incident with Anil Kapoor Ji. He along with Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Sukhwinder Singh were there for a show when 9/11 happened. All the artists were stuck in Houston for ten days and Anil ji appreciated how I handled the situation. I am very blessed that I got to work with them. Aamir Khan is also very professional. Most artists drive away to the hotel from the airport but Aamir Ji always goes directly to the venue to practice. He is a perfectionist and focuses on every little detail.”
Apart from shows, Rajender Singh Pahl has also presented Anupam Kher’s plays such as Salgire, Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai and Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha. He also shares a good bond with the actor.
“Anil Kapoor Ji introduced me to Anupam Kher Ji. So when Anupam Kher came to LA for a movie shoot, I went to meet him. Firoz Arbaz Khan was the director of that production. With Kher sir, in the USA, we have done 35-37 shows. Amid all the ups and downs Kher has always been positive. I have learned a lot from him. Very few people can guide you the way he does. I feel blessed,” he ends.
