SANJEEV KUMAR ,
THE EXCELLENT HINDI ACTOR
DIED ON 1985 NOVEMBER 6
Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; Gujarati: હરિહર જેઠાલાલ જરીવાલા) 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was a noted Indian film actor. He won several major awards including two National Film Awards for Best Actor for his performances in the movies Dastak (1971) and Koshish (1973). He acted in genres ranging from romantic drama to thrillers. Unlike his peers, Sanjeev Kumar did not mind playing roles that were non-glamorous, such as characters way beyond his age. Movies like Sholay and Trishul exemplify his talents. He is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters
Early life and background[edit]
Sanjeev Kumar, born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala in Bombay, Maharashtra, (also referred as Haribhai)[1][2] to a Gujarati family spent his early years in Surat. His family eventually settled in Mumbai. A stint in a film school led him to Bollywood, where he eventually became an accomplished actor. Sanjeev Kumar had two younger brothers and one sister.
Career[edit]
Kumar started his acting career as stage actor, starting with IPTA in Mumbai and later he joined the Indian National Theatre.[2] Even as a stage actor, he had a penchant for playing older roles; at age 22, he played an old man in an adaptation of Arthur Miller's All My Sons. Sanjeev Kumar made his film debut with a small role in Hum Hindustani in 1960. Sanjeev's first film as a protagonist was the 1965 Nishan. In 1968, he acted alongside a famous actor of those times, Dilip Kumar, in Sangharsh.
In 1970, the movie Khilona brought him recognition. In 1972, he played in an Indo-Iranian film Subah aur Shaam. This was when director Gulzar first spotted him; later he was to cast Kumar in the roles of older man in Koshish (1973), Aandhi (1975), Mausam (1975). In the following year, in a play "Damru" directed by AK Hangal, he again played the role of a 60-year-old with six children .
1] He went on to star in the box office hits Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Manchali (1973) and Aap Ki Kasam (1974). In 1973, he made a guest appearance during a song in a Tamil movie, Bharatha Vilas (1973). He started working with Gulzar, a well-known director, in the early 1970s. He performed in nine movies with Gulzar, including Koshish (1973), Aandhi (1975), Mausam (1975), Angoor (1981) and Namkeen (1982). Sanjeev Kumar won the BFJA Awards for Best Actor (Hindi) for his exemplary portrayal of a deaf and mute person in Koshish, in which the female lead was played by Jaya Bhaduri, who acted as his deaf and mute wife and was herself nominated for Best Actor award by Filmfare for the same role.
It was the producers and directors of the South, who wanted to remake their Tamil and Telugu films, in Hindi with either Sanjeev or Rajesh Khanna in lead. It was these Hindi film remakes which elevated him to a great actor. The film Khilona and it's Tamil version Engirundho Vandhaal were made simultaneously. Sanjeev reprised the role played by Thengai Srinivasan in Yehi Hai Zindagi which was remake of Kaliyuga Kannan.
He played the role which N.T.Rama Rao did originally in Devina Chesina Manushulu,in its Hindi version Takkar. He starred in the lead in the film Shaandaar in 1974 which was remake of Kasturi Vilasa which had Kannada actor Rajkumar in the lead. Tayaramma Bangarayya was remade as Shriman Shrimati, Navarathri was remade as Naya Din Naya Raat, Raman Ethanai Ramanadi was remade as Raam Kitne Tere Naam and Gnana Oli was remade as Devata.Sanjeev reprised the role played by R.Muthuraman in Alukuoru Aasai in its Hindi remake Itni Si Baat.
Sanjeev Kumar's excellent comic timing entertained audiences in films like Seeta Aur Geeta, Biwi O Biwi (1981),[3] Pati, Patni Aur Woh, Angoor (1982) and Hero (1983) to name a few. He made guest appearances in two Tamil films Bharata Vilas and Uyirandhavargal (remake of Koshish).
His performances in the films like Charitraheen, Angaare, Grihapravesh, Chehre Pe Chehra, Sawaal, Yaadgaar which became box office flops was appreciated by critics and during its subsequent screening in television.He always demonstrated a willingness to take on unconventional roles that challenged him as an actor. His role as Mirza Sajjad Ali,[4] a chess-obsessed Lucknowi (citizen of Lucknow), in Satyajit Ray's classic Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) exemplified that aspect. Perhaps his best-remembered roles were in the blockbuster films Sholay (1975) and Trishul (1978).
His portrayal of the character Thakur, from Sholay, released in August 1975 was one of his stellar performances. In Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974), Sanjeev Kumar reprised the nine-role epic performance by Sivaji Ganesan in Navarathri (Tamil; 1964), which was also previously reprised by Akkineni Nageswara Rao in Navarathri (Telugu; 1966). This film enhanced his status and reputation as a serious player in Bollywood. He stood his ground against leading superstars such as Rajesh Khanna in Bandhan, Aap Ki Kasam, Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor in the Yash Chopra multi-star cast film Trishul (1978) and with Dilip Kumar in the Subhash Ghai film Vidhaata (1982).
During the early 1980s, Sanjeev Kumar took to acting primarily in supporting roles. In 1980, he starred in a Punjabi movie Fauji Chacha. He did 3 films opposite Tamil actress L.Vijaya Lakshmi which were Husn Aur Ishq, Badal which became hits.Their first film was Alibaba Aur 40 Chor which was unsuccessful.Raja Aur Runk, released in 1968, starring Sanjeev Kumar was a great success. He did Kangan, Rivaaz, Zindagi, Beraham, Archana, Do Ladkiyan opposite Mala Sinha.
He did films like Priya, Anubhav, Gustaaki Maaf, Bachpan, Khuddar with Tanuja. He was paired with Rakhee in Angaare, Paras, Trishna, Shriman Shrimati, Hamare Tumhare.His hits with Leena Chandravarkar included Apne Rang Hazar, Manchali and Anhonee. He was paired regularly with Sulakshana Pandit in Uljhan, Waqt Ki Deewar and with Moushmi Chatterjee in Itni Si Baat, Daasi. He has done many regional films in different languages including Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi and his mother tongue Gujarati.
Personal life[edit]
Sanjeev Kumar remained single all his life. He had proposed Hema Malini in 1973 and they remained in touch even after Sanjeev suffered his first heart attack in 1976. Later he was involved with actress Sulakshana Pandit, but both of them remained unmarried.[5]Sanjeev refused to marry her, as a result of which Sulakshana vowed to never marry anyone.
His closest friends from film industry were Rajesh Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Tanuja, Deven Varma, Sivaji Ganesan, B. Nagi Reddy. Among his juniors he was a very good friend of actor, producer/director Sachin Pilgaonkar and actress Sarika.
Health problems and death[edit]
Kumar was born with a congenital heart condition, and many members of his family hadn't lived past 50. After his first heart attack, he underwent a bypass in the US. However, on 6 November 1985, at the age of 47, he suffered a massive heart attack, which resulted in his death. His younger brother Nikul died before him, while the other brother Kishore died six months later.[1][6] Ironically for an actor who had played many elderly roles, he died at less than 50 years of age.
Over ten movies starring Sanjeev Kumar were released after his death, with the last one Professor Ki Padosan released in 1993. At the time of his death, only about three-fourths of this movie was complete, and it was decided eventually to alter the story line in the second half to explain the absence of Sanjeev Kumar's character.
Screen tested for the movie Aarti in 1962 . But was replaced later on.
Brother of Bollywood actor Kishore Jariwala. Kishore acted in" Dhoop Chaon "with his brother Sanjeev Kumar.
Brother of Bollywood producer Nakul Jariwala. Nakul produced Sanjeev Kumar, Feroz Khan film " Do Waqt Ke Roti".
Acting student of writer/ director P. D Shenoy.
Gulzar and Sanjiv Kumar were great friends, Sanjiv used to share all his worries with him, and Gulzar persuaded him to undergo kidney transplant after the latter's Diabetic Nephropathy. Sanjeev never married.
Photograph of Sanjeev Kumar was used as Moushami Chatterjee's husband in Ikke Pe Ikka .
Was given the screen name " Sanjeev Kumar" by Sawan Kumar Tak. Sawan spotted him in a play and produced " Naunhilal" with him.
Starred in Prakash Mehra's shelved film "Insaan Ke Aulad". The film was shelved when Sanjeev passed away.
Starred in the shelved movie Gautam Pictures "Girftaar" (1981) Starring Sunil Dutt,Sanjeev Kumar,Jeetendra, Reena Roy, Amjad Khan, Music by R.D, Burman, Produced by Gautam Pictures, Directed by V.K.Sobti.12 Reels.
Starred in the shelved movie Movie Matter's "Heere Jawahrat"(1981) Starring Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra, Reena Roy, Amjad Khan,Music Rajesh Roshan,Directed by R.Jhalani. 14 Reels.
Brother Kishore Jariwala was a actor, musician. He was estranged from the family for several years. Later on in life he married a lady named Prafulla. They had no children.
Sister named Gayatri. She was married to Ashok Patel. They are both settled in America.
Mistaken as Darshan Jariwala's uncle on several websites. This is due to their last names.
Brother Nakul was married to Jyotiben. They had three children. Uday , Prithvi, Ekta.
Starred in the shelved film "Mahaan" (1971). Starring Sanjeev Kumar, Mumtaz. Music by Shankar Jaikishen. Directed by Sultan Ahmed.
Starred in the shelved film "Mitti Ka Dev" (1968). Starring Sanjeev Kumar, Anjana Mumtaz,Nirupa Roy,Abhi Bhattacharya,Tarun Ghosh. Directed by Sameer Chowdhury.
Leela Chitnis son Actor, producer Manavendra Chitnis was producing a film shot exclusively in New York. This was in 1976. It was titled " New York, New York". It starred Sanjeev Kumar and Persis Khambhatta. Sanjeev and Persis had shot a song riding a bike in Central Park in New York. The film was shelved for financial reasons.
sanjeev-kapoor-marriage
Kumar’s first crush was the popular actress Nutan (actor Mohnish Behl’s mother). It is said that Kumar was still in his early days in showbiz and happened to meet Nutan, an established star, on the set of one of his films. Kumar always harboured a sense of admiration, awe even, as far as the beautiful actress was concerned – and when he first saw her in-person, he couldn’t keep his feelings hidden.
He proposed to Nutan right away, in front of everyone present at the sets. Nutan, who was already married, did not take it well. In fact, she was so aggravated by Kumar’s immature act that she gave him a resounding slap and left immediately. It is said that since then Kumar and Nutan would always avoid confronting one another, which they did so for the rest of their lives.
1: Nutan slaps Sanjeev Kumar: This occurred during the time when Sanjeev Kumar was an upcoming actor. Nutan slapped Sanjeev Kumar in the compound of a studio. Film journals were carrying reports of a romance between Nutan and Sanjeev. It disturbed the marital life of Nutan. Nutan's contention was, Sanjeev is feeding the media with the news to promote his career, and ruining her life. Sanjeev's camp insisted that there was real fire under the smoke of the news of Nutan-Sanjeev romance.
Soon after the slapping incident, there was a Bollywood party. Sanjeev was there and all the actors kissed his cheek that was slapped by Nutan.
sanjeev-kapoor-movies
Sanjeev Kumar’s second crush was none other the ‘dreamgirl’ of Bollywood, Hema Malini. Kumar was so smitten by Hema when he first saw her on set of their film Seeta and Geeta (1972), that by the end of the making of the film he had already proposed marriage to the pretty lady. Hema agreed but her mother did not approve of the relationship because of cultural and lifestyle clashes between the households. Needless to say, Hema had to backtrack leaving Kumar bereft. Kumar was deeply hurt by this episode, and many cite this heartbreak by Hema as the chief reason he did not tie the knot for the rest of his life.
But Kumar had no dearth of female admirers, and there was a woman who went head over heels in love with Sanjeev Kumar right at the moment she met him.
Kumar’s Not So Secret Admirer
sanjeev-kapoor-love
In 1975, Kumar worked on a film called Uljhan, which marked the debut of singer turned actress Sulakshana Pandit – sister of the popular music directors Jatin and Lalit Pandit of Jatin-Lalit fame. Pandit, then just 21-years old, was already an established singer, and planned to make a full-fledged foray into films. Pandit met Kumar for the first time on the sets of Uljhan, and despite the considerable age gap, she started falling for the talented actor during the making of the film. She was so enamoured by Kumar that by the end of the shoot she proposed to the actor, who was a not-inconsiderable 16 years older than her.
However, Kumar never reverberated the same sentiment, and thus never reciprocated Pandit’s feelings. In fact he was still in heartbreak mode, hopeful of winning Hema Malini over, and for this reason turned down Pandit’s proposal.
Needless to say the young Pandit was left doleful. Perhaps unknowingly, Kumar had inflicted the same wounds to Pandit, which Hema had wreaked on him. In fact just like Kumar, Pandit never married for the rest of her life, and became a recluse after her retirement from Bollywood in 1988.
Things Thereafter
There were other many women who were after Kumar, notable of whom were actresses Neeta Mehta, and Jaishri T. Kumar, still forlorn, turned them all down however. Also none of them may have had the same dedication and ardent admiration Sulakshana Pandit had for Kumar.
After Sanjeev Kumar’s death in 1985, Pandit went into a state of shock. She immediately stopped signing on for films, and started living the life of a loner in Mumbai flat. So aggrieved was she, that she had to later shift to her sister Vijeta’s place, which is where she currently resides.
In a 2013 interview, Vijeta spoke of how her sister had not been keeping well, psychologically, since Kumar’s death. So grave is her condition that no one shares any sensitive matter or news with her in a fear that she may suddenly lose her mental equilibrium.
sanjeev-kapoor
Both Sanjeev Kumar and Sulakshana Pandit were victims of unrequited love that tipped their life for the worse forever. While little can be done about the past, we hope Pandit comes to terms with reality. Sanjeev Kumar is surely someone who left a mark on the hearts and minds of his many friends and admirers, and is a person, who will always be remembered with a sense of absolute awe and respect.
Sanjeev Kumar firmly believed that there was a curse on his family that the males would not live beyond the age of fifty. His father had died young. His younger brother Nikul Jariwala, who made the film 'Do Waqt Ki Roti', which never released, died
suddenly when he was just 36. His other brother Kishore Jariwala, who was a failure as an actor and a music director also bid adieu when he was forty nine years and ten months old. On 6th November 1985 Sanjeev Kumar, whoremained a bachelor all his life, died of a massive heart attack. He was just 47. An actor par excellence, who could essay any character with consummate ease and deliver a flawless performance, Sanjeev Kumar’s name is indelibly etched in the hearts of cineastes and the annals of Indian cinema as one of the greatest actors ever.
The nature of the camaraderie that Anju Mahendroo shared with the late Sanjeev Kumar can be gauged by the fact that he was one of the first to reach the actress’ house once the news of her hi-profile breakup with superstar Rajesh Khanna hit the headlines in 1973. “As soon as my ex-boyfriend and I spilt, Hari (Sanjeev’s real name) and Basuda (Bhattacharya, director) came home. I said, ‘Hello, this is no condolence meeting’,” laughs Anju at the memory. “Hari was always there for me like a brother,” says Anju Mahendru.
FRIENDS FOREVER
Anju first met Sanjeev, after he was seen in Aspi Irani’s adventure film Nishan (1965). “We were at Raveena Tandon’s parents’ (filmmaker Ravi Tandon and Veena) marriage. We friends were sitting in a group when someone pointed to Hari standing across and said, ‘Look at that boy, he’s a hero’. And Hari was anything but a hero. He kept looking at our table and we kept looking at him. I thought, ‘Let me take his autograph’. I picked up the paper napkin from my table, went up to him and asked for an autograph. He gave me a knowing look. He began writing something on the napkin and went on and on. I said, ‘Excuse me, not a love letter, just an autograph’. Hari started laughing saying that he expected one of us to come to him and had thought of playing some mischief,” narrates Anju who was around 17 then.
Soon they hit it off and became friends. “Hari was a foodie. For him everything was about food. Despite being a Gujarati Brahmin, he loved non-vegetarian food. And unless it was at someone’s home he wasn’t comfortable eating it. So he’d come home and we’d have dishes made for him. My mother (Shanti Mahendroo, the late Madan Mohan’s sister) also grew fond of him. She began tying a rakhi on him.” While Anju’s debut film Airhostess got shelved, she later appeared in Rajinder Singh’s Dastak with Sanjeev.
PLATONIC VIBES
Says Anju, “Ours was a buddy buddy relationship. Whenever he was seeing a girl, he’d share it with me. We had numbered his girlfriends 1, 2, 3... He’d call up and say, ‘Number 3 called me up today and number 9 reacted in this manner’.” She asserts that her relationship with Hari was platonic. “I was never attracted to him. For me he was my mother’s brother. In fact, there was one actress who had told everyone that I was having an affair with Hari. My ex-boyfriend believed that I had a relationship with Hari and long after we had broken off he nursed the misconception. Years later, when Hari and he worked together in a film and he had to slap Hari in a scene, he gave a really hard one. Hari and he never got along,” laughs Anju at life’s quirks.
UNSTARRY STAR
Anju says Sanjeev was the non-starriest of stars. His trademark attire was a white kurta-pyjama and white chappals. “He would take rice from the dish with his hands. He was that simple,” she says narrating further, “Once a rat entered my house. I screamed ‘chuwa chuwa’ and climbed onto the sofa. He caught it with his hand and flung it out saying, ‘Where we used to live in Bhuleshwar (a middle-class area in Mumbai) there were only rats and rats running over us’.”
Sanjeev shared his birthday with friend Shatrughan Sinha’s anniversary (July 9) and they often ended up celebrating the occasion together says Anju. “He was also fond of music. Madanji (Mohan), Raees Khan saab, Amjad Ali Khan saab, Zakir Hussain and Sitaraji (Devi) often came home. He loved the musical evenings with them. His favourite song was Mai re from Dastak.
THE HOME HE NEVER BOUGHT
All life Sanjeev remained in search of a dream home. “When Hari had, say hypothetically Rs 50, 000, the house would be costing Rs 80,000. Then when he had collected Rs 80,000, it would go up to a lakh. And so on it went. All his life, the poor man never bought a home,” reveals Anju adding, “Towards the end of his life, he bought a huge property just next to Chetan Anand’s bungalow. But before he could shift, there was a legal tussle in the seller’s family. So Hari never got down to owning a house of his own.” She continues, “My mother dealt with antiques. He’d buy exotic stuff from her and store them in one room. He used to sleep in their midst. All his life, Hari continued to live on rent
THE LOVE HE NEVER FOUND
The same misfortune ruled where love was concerned. Through his life, Sanjeev was linked with almost a dozen heroines including Hema Malini, Jayshree T, Sulakshana Pandit but he never did settle down. “Every time he got involved with a woman he was told by those close to him, ‘Arrey yaar yeh toh tere paise ke peeche hai (she’s after your money)’. This would play on his mind. I’d say, ‘Hari, are you mad or what? Can’t you judge for yourself? This way you’ll never get married. You love the woman, even if she’s there for your money, so what?’”
Anju adds, “I don’t know whether he kept falling in love, or women kept falling in love him. But there were lots and lots of women around him all the time. He was charming, he had a wonderful smile. They tried wooing him by sending him dabbas. Some women were genuinely in love with him. But he believed they were after his wealth, which was so sad because at the end of the day he had neither a home nor a wife.”
While Sanjeev was said to be heartbroken after Hema Malini allegedly declined his proposal, there were also stories that Sulakshana Pandit remained unmarried after her ruptured romance with the actor. However Anju says, “The one time he fell madly in love it was with a married woman. The poor man went through a lot of hassles because of that and so did she. Their mental level was the same; their age group was the same. But it was not meant to be.
KANJOOS? NOT REALLY
Sanjeev Kumar’s kanjoos (miser) reputation preceded him, while his charity went unreported. “He wanted people to believe he was a kanjoos. That’s because he came from a background where money mattered a lot. He also wanted to give that impression so that people didn’t misuse his friendship.” Anju narrates an incident, “Most of the time, my mother would be away in London for Rakhi. So I’d end up tying a rakhi on Hari on her behalf. Once I told him, ‘This time I won’t take Rs 500. I want a gold tissue saree. Those days the saree was a rage and cost Rs 2500. He said, ‘Don’t act mad. There are 10 sisters waiting outside!’ I said I didn’t care and that I wanted it. He said in his inimitable style, ‘Paisa nahin hai!’ He then took his briefcase and threw it at me asking me to check whether it had money. He thought I wouldn’t open it. But I did and removed a bundle of notes and ran down from his house. He called me from the second floor. He was smiling as he waved the gold DuPont lighter that I had left behind (worth thousands)!”
LIFE INTERRUPTED
Sanjeev’s life of excesses – wine and food – did him in. After his first heart attack he flew to the US for a bypass surgery. “One day I heard someone say ‘hello’ to me at Filmistan Studio. I turned to see it was Hari. He looked thin, haggard, almost like a 75-year-old. It took me a while to recognise him. I asked him why he was working. He said he had to complete a few films,” relates Anju. But after the illness Sanjeev had mellowed down. “He had stopped going out to prevent himself from eating and drinking. He was aware that premature death ran in his family what with an inherited congenital heart condition. He’d keep saying that in his family, the men didn’t live beyond 50. ” Anju says that he was a broken man after his younger brother Nikul (Baba) passed away. Tragically, his other brother Kishore died two years after Sanjeev’s demise. What lingers in her memory is Sanjeev’s smile. “After his first drink he’d stop talking. All he would do is keep smiling at everyone, just a serene, sweet smile.” That’s what he had on his last journey too – on November 6, 1985.
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