Cut to the book. Zaveri and Batra have done a commendable job for two reasons. One, the book accurately, truthfully and insightfully present the largely unknown back-story of one of Bollywood’s – and India’s – truly gifted actor’s journey from obscurity to centre-stage. Two, it emphasises his relentless focus and agenda to be recognised, accepted, appreciated and respected as an actor first, a star later.
In star-centric Bollywood, actors have always lost out in the popularity polls to the glitzy, glossy stars; the audience-friendly creatures who blaze the neons. Be it Dilip-Balraj, SRK-Naseer, Salman-Nawaz, star power has always hi-jacked the buzz. Sanjeev Kumar is perhaps – arguably – the only actor who has held his own, both in multi-starrers and solo-projects. Be it Khilona, Anamika, Koshish, Manchali, Naya Din Nayee Raat, Mausam, Anubhav, Pati, Patna aur Woh, Angoor, Zindagi, Manoranjan … or Sholay, Trishul, Vidhata, Silsila, Kala Pathar, Seeta aur Geeta, Shatranj Ki Khilari … Sanjeev Kumar always stood out. Even minus his looks and physique hardly conforming to the requirements of a matinee idol [read: Rajesh, Amitabh, Vinod Khanna, Jitendra, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor], the paunchy actor crossed the rubicon, with passion and purpose and triumphed like very few others have.
The authors trace and track the trajectory of Sanjeev Kumar’s life and times not in a fan boy manner, but with perspective, sensitivity and soul. From the changing of his name, Haribhai Jhariwala, the Gujarati stage actor to Sanjeev Kumar, the Bollywood aspirant; his unsung, unnoticed and unheralded entry into the industry with B-grade stunt films; his first cameo against the Emperor of Bollywood Dilip Kumar in Sangharsh [chronicled in an unmisssable, fascinating chapter entitled Jamnadas’s Sangharsh] and the terrific impact it made on the industry-wallahs and audiences; his subsequent steady rise in the industry in terms of name, fame and roles; his bonding and films with Gulzar; his awe of Bengali diva Suchitra Sen; his passionate affair with a co-star and popular leading lady of the time; it’s tragic end and subsequent heart-break; iconic multi-starrers he participated with memorable elan and grace; his eternal availability for soul-strip roles (which others wouldn’t dream of accepting) that challenged the artist in him; his health issues and slow, sad fade-out … and of course alongside his role as a true, loving, caring son, brother, uncle and dutiful provider for his family, and a yaron ka yaar to his close friends like Shatrughan Sinha.