SANJEEV KUMAR

 

Born: July 9,1938

Died: November 6, 1985

Age:47

Sanjeev Kumar was born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala on July 9, 1938, in Surat, Gujarat — but grew up in Bombay, where he eventually made a name for himself in films. 

He started his acting career on stage (in Gujarati theatre), before entering Hindi cinema: his first film appearance was a small role in Hum Hindustani (1960), and his first leading role came in Nishan (1965). 

His breakthrough came with Khilona (1970) — a film that brought him to national attention. 

Throughout the 1970s, Sanjeev Kumar carved out a place for himself not just as a romantic hero, but as one of Hindi cinema’s most versatile actors. He refused to be boxed in by the glamorous hero‑stereotype; instead he chose a wide variety of roles — sometimes romantic, often dramatic or realistic — and even played characters much older than himself. 

For instance, in Koshish (1972), directed by Gulzar, he and Jaya Bhaduri (later Jaya Bachchan) played a deaf‑and‑mute couple. The entire performance was conveyed through expressions and silent communication — no spoken dialogue — and it remains one of his most emotionally powerful films. 

That role won him one of his two National Film Award for Best Actor honors (he won in 1973 for Koshish; earlier, he’d won in 1971 for Dastak). 

Another towering moment in his career came with the legendary Sholay (1975). Sanjeev played Thakur Baldev Singh — a vengeance‑driven former police officer whose arms have been brutally cut off, and who hires two men to capture the dreaded bandit Gabbar Singh. Even though this was not a “hero‑as‑romantic‑lead” role, his performance added tragic depth and stoic dignity — and helped make Thakur one of Indian cinema’s most memorable characters. 

Beyond drama and tragedy, Sanjeev displayed great comic timing too — for example in Angoor (1982), directed by Gulzar, where he played a dual role. His comic timing and subtlety there are often praised as among the best in Hindi cinema. 

Among the remarkable things about him: in a career spanning roughly 25 years (from 1960 to 1985), he acted in many films across genres — romance, comedy, social drama, thrillers — and even refused glamour in favor of realism and emotional depth. 

Sadly, his life was cut short — he died on November 6, 1985 in Bombay (Mumbai) at the age of 47. 

A few interesting anecdotes / lesser known facets:

• He was considered brave for taking on “older” roles even when he was young — choosing realism over glamour.  
• With Gulzar he worked in many films — a fruitful collaboration that yielded both hits and artistic gems.  
• He was not just limited to mainstream Hindi cinema: he also did regional‑language films (including Gujarati) early in his career.  

In short: whether as the anguished deaf‑mute husband in Koshish, the tragic lover in Khilona, the comic double‑role genius in Angoor, or the vengeful, tragic Thakur in Sholay — Sanjeev Kumar had a rare gift: he could make the audience feel every emotion deeply. His absence left a vacuum in Bollywood that is still felt today.

#MOMENTS

1) Sanjeev Kumar was known to be a true foodie, and director B.R. Chopra once shared a memorable incident about it. During the shooting of film “Pati Patni Aur Woh”, Sanjeev had to film the song “Thande Thande Paani Mein”without wearing a shirt or vest. Worried that his fans might tease him for being overweight, he requested the director to postpone the shoot for 15 days so he could diet and lose a little weight.

Chopra agreed—but every day on set, lunch would arrive with the aroma of fish and other delicious dishes. Tempted by the smell, Sanjeev kept putting off his diet. This went on for the entire 15 days, and in the end, the song was shot just as he was—natural and unchanged.