Sanjeev Kumar Death Anniversary: It is often said that talent can’t be hidden for a long time. It comes out in the open in one way or the other. The veteran actor Harihar Jethalal Jariwala, better known as Sanjeev Kumar, made an indelible mark on the Hindi film industry.
The legendary actor played several timeless roles – with Thakur in Sholay and double roles in Angoor being the few prominent ones. But do you know that his great acting skills were such that in his early stage of cinematic career, he overshadowed Dilip Kumar, one of the greatest actors of all time. And he did it with a short but impactful role in Sunghursh released in 1968.
Sanjeev Kumar: The actor whose eyes did the talking
Sanjeev Kumar was a god-gifted actor. His acting skills were considered far ahead of its time. He did not hesitate to play non-glamorous roles. He played older roles both during his short stint in stage play or when he was an established actor in the industry. His expressive eyes could convey emotions effortlessly. In the film ‘Naya Din Nai Raat’, he flawlessly pulled nine roles and did not look out of place in any of them.
Born in a Gujarati family, he moved to Mumbai to make it big in Cinema at a very young age. He started his acting career as a stage actor with IPTA in Bombay. Later he joined the Indian National Theatre. In 1960, at the age of 22, he played the role of an old man in ‘All My Sons’. It was an adaptation of Arthur Miller. Prithiviraj Kapoor, the leading actor and one of the best actors of all time, noticed the budding actor and was very much impressed by his effortless acting.
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Soon, Sanjeev Kumar made his cinematic debut with a small role in Hum Hindustani. In 1965, he got his first lead role in Nishan. However, the talented actor hardly had any special project with him till the fateful year of 1968. Till then, he appeared in many films like Smuggler, Pati-Patni, Husn Aur Ishq, Badal, Naunihal and Gunahgaar. All of these films failed miserably at the box office. But as they say, talent can’t be held back for a long time.
The iconic scene from Sunghursh that changed the destiny of Sanjeev Kumar
In 1968, a multi star cast movie Sunghursh hit the theatre screens. It was directed and produced by Harnam Singh Rawail. It was based on a short story in Bengali language ‘Layli Asmaner Ayna’, written by acclaimed writer Mahasweta Devi. The movie showcased a fictionalised account of vendetta in the holy city of Varanasi.
The multi star cast included Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, Balraj Sahni, Sanjeev Kumar and Jayant among others. Many times, multi star cast movies fail to do Justice with the talent of the individual actors. In such movies, every actor being a star has to be shown as per the liking of the audiences and hence overlooks the script requirements. Sunghursh was not one of them however. The film was not a box office success but it catapulted Sanjeev Kumar to new highs in the Hindi Film Industry.
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The chess scene where Sanjeev Kumar is trying to take revenge and kill the host Dilip Kumar remained with the audiences for a long time. Dilip Kumar aka “Tragedy King” as usual looked composed, poised and effortless but Sanjeev Kumar with his unique style stole the thunder. Even for a short time, Sanjeev Kumar surpassed Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar in acting. Mesmerised by it, Dilip Kumar was compelled to heap praise on his colleague.
The role was an immediate hit among the masses and it became the turning point in the Cinematic career of Sanjeev Kumar. He played key roles in at least 155 movies and was no less an acting institution in himself. The actor died at a young age of 47 years. But the actor gave true meaning to the famous dialogue of Rajesh Khanna in Anand that “Babumoshai, Zindagi Badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi.” On Sanjeev Kumar Death Anniversary he will always remain in the hearts of Cinema lovers with his timeless acting.
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