Sanjeev Kumar was born as Harihar Jethalal Jariwala (also referred as Haribhai) on 9th July 1938 in Surat, Gujarat, to a Gujarati Leuva Patel family and 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.
Kumar started his acting career as stage actor, starting with IPTA in Mumbai and later he joined the Indian National Theatre. 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 played the role of a 60-year-old with six children. 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.
Sanjeev Kumar's excellent comic timing entertained audiences in films like Seeta Aur Geeta, Biwi O Biwi (1981), 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, 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).
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.
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.
He won several major awards including two National Film Awards for Best Actor for his performances in the movies Dastak (1971) and Koshish (1973).
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