The Surat-born legendary actor and his choice of films, even today, can be studied for one to understand how performances and brilliant storylines can create history. Perhaps millennials remember him from Sholay, that film that makes their parents hark back to their younger selves, an age that they say was Golden. But films like Aandhi and Seeta Aur Geeta reveal a completely new side to him that undoubtedly made him a cut above the rest. On Saturday, his nephew Uday Jariwala and Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta released his biography titled Sanjeev Kumar, the Actor We All Loved.

Sanjeev Kumar’s memoir: Insights into his journey from struggle to stardom

Haribhai, as he was popularly known, started his career in theatre. His struggle to become an actor began in 1956, and while he did many author-backed roles in films like Nishan (1965), Pati Patni (1966), Sunghursh (1968), Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam (1969) it was LV Prasad’s Khilona in 1970, that cemented his place in Indian cinema.

He went from strength to strength in the years that followed, belting out hits like Parichay (1972), Anamika (1973), Aandhi (1975), Trishul (1978) and Silsila (1981) among others. Kumar was also known for his impeccable comic timing, and his close friend Gulzar tapped into his forte in the rib-tickling film Angoor (1982), which enjoys a cult status in Hindi cinema, even today.

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta and Uday Jariwala have co-authored this very important biography of historical significance in the annals of Indian cinema. The book traverses his life from 1938 to 1985 and promises to be a thorough entertainer.

It takes us through Sanjeev Kumar’s journey to becoming one of the greatest actors Bollywood has seen, with personal essays by his friends and leading Bollywood names including Gulzar, Randhir Kapoor, and co-stars Sharmila Tagore, Moushmi Chatterjee, Tanuja, among others.

Commenting on her experience of narrating Sanjeev Kumar’s life story, co-author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta comments ‘It took me four years, multiple interviews with over 25 contributors, poring over 800 magazine articles in five languages to write this book. Sanjeev Kumar was one of those rare performers who ‘became the character’, instead of playing it and his National Awards prove it. The book chronicles his rags-to-riches story, his motivations, his fears, and his God-gifted talent. Readers will feel that they are in the same room as Sanjeev Kumar- understanding his life firsthand. It is an entertaining read and a prep for aspiring actors, all at once.”

Uday Jariwala is the nephew and heir to the legacy of Sanjeev Kumar. He runs the Sanjeev Kumar Foundation, an NGO that works towards the promotion of theatre, art and education.

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