If he were alive today, he would be celebrating his 86th birthday. He is Sanjeev Kumar, arguably the most versatile Bollywood actor of all time, born this day in 1938 in Surat, Gujarat as Haribhai Jariwala. A la his other brothers with heart disease in family, he couldn't complete 50, nor he could became a star like Amitabh or Rajesh Khanna. But he was an awesome actor to whom acting and his characteristic smile came naturally. Give him any role - old, young, comedy, tragedy, father, husband, brother or a leader, he would bring the best out of the character. His smile, his style of smoking, whether a Bidi of a slum dweller or a pipe smoking business tycoon was unique of its kind, perfectly fitting to the milieu and the role.
The other day I was watching the movie KOSHISH, where Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri played the role of a deaf and dumb couple who stammered, communicating using broken words and sign language. Stellar, emotionally choked performance from both actors moistened my eyes. Watching him one never feels that he was ever acting, he was just the next door man having a casual look with a harmless smile just leading a normal life. Sanjeev Kumar had great on screen chemistry with actress Jaya Bhaduri. Both of them excelled playing all different combinations of relationships between a man and a woman to perfection - Lover and Beloved (ANAMIKA), Husband and Wife duo (KOSHISH), Father-in-law and Daughter-in-law (SHOLAY) and so on.
In the movie LAKHON KI BAAT, a wonderful family oriented comedy movie Sanjeev Kumar played a comic lawer fighting a Worker's Complenation lawsuit for his brother-in-law Farooq Saikh. In the same movie, Utpal Dutt played the role of a Private Detective with a skull cap. He doesn't laugh at all, but can't stop you from laughing by occasionally winking his over enlarged eyes, swinging around his eyeballs - no actor has ever made me laugh more.
Sanjeev Kumar's personal life was turbulent. He remained single all his life. Actress Nutan slapped him when Sanjeev Kumar proposed her at the set of movie "Devi". He had proposed to Hema Malini in 1973 which was rejected too and they remained in touch even after he suffered his first heart attack in 1976. Dharmendra who later married Hema Malini was so insecure that during the shooting of the iconic movie SHOLAY ensured that Hema Malini (Dharam was chasing Hema and later took her as his 2nd wife) and Sanjeev Kumar were not seen together in a single scene in that movie. During the shooting of Gulzar's Aandhee Sanjeev Kumar got drunk and knocked the door of actress Suchitra Sen's hotel room in the middle of night during the shooting. An insecure and insulted Suchitra Sen almost left for Calcutta after this incident but for the intervention of legendary Gulzar stopped her. The movie which had resemblance to Indira Gandhi's personal life was banned before getting released.
The singer actress Sulakshana Pandit later recounted been in love and having proposed marriage to Sanjeev Kumar who politely declined. It is speculated as a result of this rejection, Sulakshana Pandit chose to remain unmarried. It is said that Sanjeev Kumar grimaced and famously told Sulakshana Pandit in his distinctive soft, lyrical voice - "Mein Kisi Aur Ko Pyaar Karta Hoon, Aur Toom Mujhe aur Wo Kisi Aur Se. Zindagi Kuchh Ajeeb Si Hai" - "I love some one and you love me, and she loves someone else. Life is somewhat weird". He wasn't far from truth.
Sanjeev Kumar's smile, expression and sarcasm filled dialogues came naturally to him. In one of his movie he is held hostage by a big, burly man. In order to escape he pretended to go to pee and showed his little finger to his captor. The big guy asked - YEH KYA HAI (What is this) ? Sanjeev Kumar says - "PEHLWAN JEE, AAP SCHOOL-WOOL NAHI GAYE THE KYA" (Mr. Bodybuilder. Didn't you ever go to school) ?
In movie SHOLAY he answers a puzzled duo Amitabh and Dharmendra querry about hiring them post a staged fight - TUM DONO KO YAHAN BULA KE KOI GALTI NAHI KI (I have done no wrong by calling both of you here). "LOHE KO LOHA KAT TA HAI" (only iron can cut iron).
Sanjeev Kumar was eqully deft in both comedy and tragedy, until tragedy struck him as he died of heart attack on the morning of November 6, 1985 at the young age of 47. It was reported he Sanjeev Kumar was drinking till the wee hours of morning when he had a heart attack and breathed his last.
What a multifaceted actor he was. He was a good man too, having helped many in Bollywood, an industry full of selfish folks. Satrughan Sinha mentioned about how Sanjeev Kumar helped him with money during a phase when the Bihari actor was going through a rough financial phase in life and Sanjeev Kumar was one of the highest paid. In the movie Sanjeev Kumar was paid Rs.1.25 lakh, more than any of the other actors in that movie.
Happy Birthday Sanjeev Kumar. You will forever be remembered for carving your niche in Bollywood and beyond. But you have done wrong to the Hindi movie industry by leaving too early when a lot was still left in you. Rest in Peace where you are.
The other day I was watching the movie KOSHISH, where Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri played the role of a deaf and dumb couple who stammered, communicating using broken words and sign language. Stellar, emotionally choked performance from both actors moistened my eyes. Watching him one never feels that he was ever acting, he was just the next door man having a casual look with a harmless smile just leading a normal life. Sanjeev Kumar had great on screen chemistry with actress Jaya Bhaduri. Both of them excelled playing all different combinations of relationships between a man and a woman to perfection - Lover and Beloved (ANAMIKA), Husband and Wife duo (KOSHISH), Father-in-law and Daughter-in-law (SHOLAY) and so on.
In the movie LAKHON KI BAAT, a wonderful family oriented comedy movie Sanjeev Kumar played a comic lawer fighting a Worker's Complenation lawsuit for his brother-in-law Farooq Saikh. In the same movie, Utpal Dutt played the role of a Private Detective with a skull cap. He doesn't laugh at all, but can't stop you from laughing by occasionally winking his over enlarged eyes, swinging around his eyeballs - no actor has ever made me laugh more.
Sanjeev Kumar's personal life was turbulent. He remained single all his life. Actress Nutan slapped him when Sanjeev Kumar proposed her at the set of movie "Devi". He had proposed to Hema Malini in 1973 which was rejected too and they remained in touch even after he suffered his first heart attack in 1976. Dharmendra who later married Hema Malini was so insecure that during the shooting of the iconic movie SHOLAY ensured that Hema Malini (Dharam was chasing Hema and later took her as his 2nd wife) and Sanjeev Kumar were not seen together in a single scene in that movie. During the shooting of Gulzar's Aandhee Sanjeev Kumar got drunk and knocked the door of actress Suchitra Sen's hotel room in the middle of night during the shooting. An insecure and insulted Suchitra Sen almost left for Calcutta after this incident but for the intervention of legendary Gulzar stopped her. The movie which had resemblance to Indira Gandhi's personal life was banned before getting released.
The singer actress Sulakshana Pandit later recounted been in love and having proposed marriage to Sanjeev Kumar who politely declined. It is speculated as a result of this rejection, Sulakshana Pandit chose to remain unmarried. It is said that Sanjeev Kumar grimaced and famously told Sulakshana Pandit in his distinctive soft, lyrical voice - "Mein Kisi Aur Ko Pyaar Karta Hoon, Aur Toom Mujhe aur Wo Kisi Aur Se. Zindagi Kuchh Ajeeb Si Hai" - "I love some one and you love me, and she loves someone else. Life is somewhat weird". He wasn't far from truth.
Sanjeev Kumar's smile, expression and sarcasm filled dialogues came naturally to him. In one of his movie he is held hostage by a big, burly man. In order to escape he pretended to go to pee and showed his little finger to his captor. The big guy asked - YEH KYA HAI (What is this) ? Sanjeev Kumar says - "PEHLWAN JEE, AAP SCHOOL-WOOL NAHI GAYE THE KYA" (Mr. Bodybuilder. Didn't you ever go to school) ?
In movie SHOLAY he answers a puzzled duo Amitabh and Dharmendra querry about hiring them post a staged fight - TUM DONO KO YAHAN BULA KE KOI GALTI NAHI KI (I have done no wrong by calling both of you here). "LOHE KO LOHA KAT TA HAI" (only iron can cut iron).
Sanjeev Kumar was eqully deft in both comedy and tragedy, until tragedy struck him as he died of heart attack on the morning of November 6, 1985 at the young age of 47. It was reported he Sanjeev Kumar was drinking till the wee hours of morning when he had a heart attack and breathed his last.
What a multifaceted actor he was. He was a good man too, having helped many in Bollywood, an industry full of selfish folks. Satrughan Sinha mentioned about how Sanjeev Kumar helped him with money during a phase when the Bihari actor was going through a rough financial phase in life and Sanjeev Kumar was one of the highest paid. In the movie Sanjeev Kumar was paid Rs.1.25 lakh, more than any of the other actors in that movie.
Happy Birthday Sanjeev Kumar. You will forever be remembered for carving your niche in Bollywood and beyond. But you have done wrong to the Hindi movie industry by leaving too early when a lot was still left in you. Rest in Peace where you are.
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