Sanjeev Kumar: Why So Underrated?
- Shivendra Singh
- Sep 13, 2015
- 1 min read
When Aandhi was released in 1975 (the classic starred Sanjeev Kumar and — how should I say it? — the magnificent Suchitra Sen!), Sanjeev Kumar was making two movies with Sharmila Tagore: Faraar and Mausam. They would shoot Faraar from 7 to 2, and Mausam from 2 to 10.
One day, Sanjeev Kumar turned up extremely late on the sets of Mausam. Having been kept waiting for hours, Sharmila Tagore got angry, and refused to speak with Sanjeev Kumar. The directors were troubled that their lead artists weren't talking to each other.
Then, Sharmila Tagore went and saw Aandhi one day. She was impressed by Sanjeev Kumar's performance so much that she came back to him and said, "Well, let me know if you are going to be late. Because it upsets me. But you are such a damn good actor that I have to talk to you!"
Perhaps 1975 was Sanjeev Kumar's most prolific year. Within months he delivered three classics: Aandhi, Mausam, and Sholay. Having said that, he had already won two National Awards for his previous performances.
Actors create glory; that is their achievement. Sanjeev Kumar created that across the spectrum. With his stellar performances, he ventured deep into public's imagination and would remain there for many years to come.
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