Mumbai, Nov 6 (IANS) Bollywood star Jackie Shroff remembered late actor Sanjeev Kumar on his death anniversary with a social media tribute.
He shared a monochrome picture of the celebrated actor and wrote, “Always in our hearts.”
Jackie also used the soulful track ‘Beeti Na Bitaai Raina’ from the 1972 film ‘Parichay’ for the tribute. Sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Bhupinder Singh, the song featured Sanjeev Kumar alongside Jaya Bachchan.
Born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala on July 9, 1938, in Surat, Gujarat, he went on to become one of the most versatile actors of Hindi cinema.
Sanjeev Kumar, unlike many leading actors of his generation, was comfortable playing romantic leads, comic characters, fathers and older men.
His breakthrough came with ‘Khilona’, after which he delivered a string of acclaimed performances. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for ‘Dastak’ and ‘Koshish’, the latter seeing him portray a deaf-mute character. His performance in ‘Koshish’ remains one of the most brave and exceptional examples of his acting skills.
He went on to become part of many landmark films, including ‘Sholay’, where he played the iconic Thakur Baldev Singh, ‘Angoor’, in which he essayed a memorable double role, ‘Aandhi’, ‘Mausam’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, ‘Namkeen’, ‘Anamika’, ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ and ‘Naya Din Nayi Raat’.
In ‘Naya Din Nayi Raat’, Sanjeev Kumar famously played nine different characters that showcased the remarkable range that became synonymous with his career.
Sanjeev Kumar’s personal life, meanwhile, remained as talked about as his acting career. He never married, despite being romantically linked with many leading actresses. His relationship with Hema Malini is among the best-known chapters of his personal life.
Reportedly, Sanjeev Kumar was serious about marrying her. His health was another major concern throughout his later years. Heart disease had a history in his family. His father died of a massive heart attack when Sanjeev was only 11. Sanjeev himself suffered heart attacks and underwent bypass surgery in the United States.
Despite undergoing surgery and being advised to take care of his health, Sanjeev Kumar died prematurely on November 6, 1985, at just 47.
Many of his films were released after his death, including ‘Love and God’, ‘Haathon Ki Lakeeren’, ‘Qatl’, ‘Baat Ban Jaye’, ‘Namumkin’ and ‘Professor Ki Padosan’, with the latter arriving in 1993.
–IANS
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