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Sanjeev Kumar : Romantic hero was full of fun also on screen
Just to remember Sanjeev Kumar and to celebrate his 70th birth anniversary.
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Who does not know that Sanjeev Kumar was a very good actor? Who does not admit that he was a versatile actor?
He did many films which could be classified as mile stones in their respective genres. He played very tough roles with a competent ease. Nothing looked tough once he accepted a role. He made it so easy that role seemed tailor made for him. Exception can be his role of Maznu in Love and God but that film took almost ages in completion and it can/should not be taken as an example.
Films, where he has played deftly a strong character, are many and films, came out from his union with Gulzaar saab, are well known and praised alike both by critics and audiences but apart from these highly acclaimed films he has done many light and regular kind of films where he has played a traditional romantic or social hero and he has carried a certain specific quality there also. His light romantic comedy films like Manchali, Anamika,Seeta aur Geeta, Naukar, Pati Patni aur Woh, Paras etc are very good and thoroughly entertaining films and they strongly support that Sanjeev Kumar was not only a thoroughly versatile actor but he also enjoyed whatever films he did and whatever roles he played there.
When we consider that by the year 2005 Saif Ali Khan can get National Award for his performance in Hum Tum then it is quite interesting to see films of 70s because all the major leading stars were giving far better performances in much better films in same genre.
Sanjeev kumar by any means was far better in these light romantic comedy films than todays stars when such films are appearing plenty in numbers.
We associate mostly him with tough roles he played but his light roles are equally praise worthy.
Though he did not get same box office success as Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetnedra and Amitabh Bachchan got (when they played regular heros) but he played regular hero’s roles also with excellence. On DVDs one can enjoy all his films at par with the films of above mentioned super stars.
Every emotion of his characters is displayed by him with an effortless ease and a higher level of competence. If he is smiling then it’s a genuine smile. If he is laughing then it will be an infectious one and it will be spread easily among audiences. If he is angry then an audience has to feel the heat of his anger. If he is romantic then his expressions and body movements emit the romance on screen.
If he is having fun then heart of audience is also filled with fun. He was never a dancer but that did not stop him to have fun on screen.
PFC has covered a lot about Sanjeev Kumar in the past and those old posts can be read again.
sanjeev-kumar-the-gulzar-connection/
random-thoughts-on-namkeen-1982/
sanjeev-kumar-defied-traditions-conventional-paths/
silsila-an-affair-to-remember/
biwi-o-biwi1981-a-hilarious-comedy-of-errors/
silsila1981-a-conflict-of-emotions-vs-realities-responsibilities/
So without taking resort of more words we can relive the memories of our beloved actor Sanjeev Kumar by watching some of his memorable songs on his 70th birth anniversary.
These songs represent his both, romantic as well as funny, sides.
He may be a poor watchman in Anokhi Raat but he displays the appropriate soft emotions while Mukesh’s poetic voice sings for him
Dulhan se tumhara Milan hoga re man thodi dheer dharo
Manchali represented him as a regular romantic hero.
Ghum ka fasana
He teases Leena Chandrawarkar so well in the song
Tan Man dhan sab hai tera
And his pranks with Leena Chandrawarkar bring a wildly energetic Sanjeev Kumar on screen
In the song
O Manchali
His energetic screen incarnation takes another form in the song
It takes another form in the song
Thande thande pani se
He reciprocates very well dream girl Hema malini in the song
and what to say about this amazing Lata song in Anamika
Bahon mein chale aao
And then there was a song in the film “Kaanch Ki Deewar” where he had danced with Late Smita patil.
Song was “ Baton mein na Taalo ji Dil De daalo ji ”
I could not find any link for that song.
21 Responses to “Sanjeev Kumar : Romantic hero was full of fun also on screen”
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sanjeev kumar is really a gem. wish we could have had more of him
Hands down, one of THE BEST, THE GREATEST ever. If there would ever be a ‘Walk of Fame’ for Indian actors, this ‘Star’ should be there in the very first batch.
And that song ‘Baaton mein na Taalo ji’ was one of my favorites in the days of Chitrahaar. Because at the end of the song, Sanjeev Kumar punches the other hero, IIRC.
RK thanks for recalling the song “dulhan se tumhara…” the song is a perfect example of how a song could be uplifted by a performane. It’s so amazing to watch how beautifully he portrayed the restlessness of the character..the song was used twice in the film. first one while doing his daily stuffs….shots like cleaning the mirror and the lamp was just so cute…as if he talks with the lamp…”chaand pari hai ya hai wo chitchor..mukhde ko hi takte takte ho jaayegi bhor”….another picturisation of the song is when he goes to buy stuff for the guests came into his home at his wedding night..just see how excitinglt he drives his bicycle…(even once he falls from the bicycle)..and the lines he sings..”aisi betaabi hai kaisi padi hai saari raat…ji bhar ke kar lena tum kamsiniya se baat..kandhe pe jhuka saawan hoga ho man thodi dheer dharo”…..just wonderful…the film has another song picturised on Sanjiv kumar “oh re taal mile nadi ke jal se” when he takes his bride to his home..One can say it’s one of the best performance by any actor at his wedding night…just see his awkwardness.. I think “anokhi raat” is very underrated film of Saniv kumar..These are two most important films of Asit Sen..one is “anokhi raat” and other is “safar”…
I remember I was in high school 4th or 5th standard when the newspaper said he died of cardiac arrest. Nobody could believe it. He was so young and all of a sudden. I think that was the first time a celebrity death affected me on a personal level. By then I had already seen like 80% of his films. Those days no TV channel etc, everything was movies. Oh well.
Sanjeev Kumar was undoubtedly the best actor during 70’s.Even in films like Satyakam where he plays a supporting role in some scenes he is better than Dharmendra who was playing an author backed role.(and perhaps his best performance).Thanks to Gulzar we have some brillant Sanjeev Kumar-Gulzar movies.Yash Chopra used him well in Trishul and Silsila.But there is one Sanjeev Kumar film which I wanted to watch but never got the cd in any store,nor was it shown on any channel.Its Arjun Pandit for which he got the filmfare best actor award.Maybe anyone of you who has seen it can share some thoughts on it.
Hari Bhai wud have been 70 years, had he been alive today. And that is sad, considering he would have really bought a refreshing perspective to some roles in today’s cinema.
Manchali song “Gham Ka Fasana” remains to date one of my fav Kishore da numbers, and in fact i love that movie too, it is a total out and out entertainer, and Sanjeev rocked in it, Leena was equally good too.
Seeta Aur Geeta has another equally good duet too on Sanjeev-Hema, “Koi Ladki Mujhe Kal Raat Sapne mein Mile”.
Also Devta, where he has that wonderful song with Shabana “Chaand Chura Ke Laaya Hoon”. Devta in fact was quite an interesting movie, and the story was based on Les Miserables.
And how could you overlook the desi version of Irma Le Deuce, Manoranjan? Zeenat Aman’s “Chori Chori Solah Singaar” is a song so bold in it’s picturization, that no Mallika or Bipasha song could come anywhere close to it. Though Manoranjan, was an out and out Zeenat Aman movie, Sanjeev still manages to make a mark, as the good natured hawaldaar. I think Sanjeev and Jack Lemmon had some similiarites,in that they both excelled in playing these Ordinary Joe kinda roles superbly.
For me Sanjeev-Gulzar combo is like that of Billy Wilder-Jack Lemmon in Hollywood.
Phod diya yaar……….teen articles pade aur teeno badiya……..this one ,”sam bahadur” and “sanjeev kumar…” achanak se kya ho gaya hai PFC ko ? there is hope after all in the world…..though I would not classify this as an article….more like a reminder but still….
@Tejas(3),
Was not other person dancing with Smita and SK, Raj or Raja or Rajan Sippy?
that song is noticeable becasue its rare audience may find Smita patil dancing in the league of regular hindi film heroines. She has only few such numbers and this can be a lone song where she has danced in a party song.
@Dipankar,
Asit Sen’s films have been quite known and successful right from the Mamta and then Anokhi Raat, Safar.
Sharafat was also a commercially successful film. Bairag though was not successful at BO. But watchable to see Dilip Kumar in tripple role and songs were good but surely he was too old to play romantic lead against Leena Chandrawarkar and that superstitous angle of Nag Devata also helped in the sinking of the film.
One of his film Vakil Babu was kind of a murder mystery and Raj Kapoor lifted the film solely by his good performance in the role of an ideal lawyer and it also had good songs.
Anokhi Raat is always remembered as a good film which had very good songs and for the performance of Sanjeev Kumar. How easily he has changed from a innocent watchman to a violent dacoit. Performances of Tarun Bose and then a newcomer Parikshit Sahni in the role of a painter were good and Mukri also was quite good.
It was a good one night story and where flashbacks provide the details behind the life story of SK and how he became a dacoit.
Though Jaheeda was too flat to display the emotions required to portray this particular character. Perhaps she was not a heroine material. I have always liked this film.
Songs are so good.
2 mukesh songs
1 rafi song - mile na phhool
and then that lata song mehlon ka raja.
Its quite interesting to see that SK played dacoit in Naya Din Nayi raat also again and he was able to keep these two roles different from each other.
Idea that lady of the house where SK and his gang take shelter in the rainy night resembles with the deceased wife of SK was quite good and because of this factor the activities happen in that night convince SK to surrender before police.
A good film.
@Anindaya,
I also have not been able to see completely that film. Few scenes I have seen.
If you are eager to read about that film, You should read article of Oz on that film.
@Ratnakar,
Manoranjan was first debut film of Shammi Kapoor as a director and was quite good, though it was an “A” certified. SK was too good in the role and one can always recall his encounter with Zeenat Aman where he says that” Apne ko car chahiye taxi nahin”.
Devata was also good and especially the later part when SK goes to new place and start living with new name and Danny recognises him and reopens the investigations of the old murder case. SK and Danny make a good challenging combination.
Rk..so anokhi rat has done well in the BO..m also sure that it’s music could be one of the reasons…The film also shows that Asit sen has a great sense for music…almost all the songs have variations but yet managed to make them gr8..for example “meri Beri ke ber mat todo..koi kaanta chubh jaayega and “mehlon ka raaja mila..think Roshan was the music director and Kaifi Azmi has written the songs…Asit sen’s this sense of music could be seen in ” bairag…”safar”..also…ya agre that zahida has delivered so flat performance..i also feel somehow that the some dialogues in the film was unnecessary and quite complicated..and also could not convinced with the end…the end should be more realistic….once the cops could not beleave the servant and the next moment they are in the haveli..also it becomes very predictable that everyone is telling his/her story associated with a song…the SK flashback is almost predictable…he also tells “main apni kahaani nahi sunaana chahta tha par khud ko rok na saka”…also the conflicts in the lives of of aruna and zahida was the same ..anyway…it’s a worth watch and arises questions abt the then indian society in the perspective of feminism..
@Dipankar,
Music was always the major driving force to fetch audience in to the cinema hall in those years. Electronic media was not there and people did not read film magazine on mass level so major option to advertise the film was to release its music much before the films release. Asit Sen’s all films had good music.
Asit Sen should have good sense of music and its also true that majority of music directors were highly competent those days and on an average most of the time their compositions were good.
If Director had good sense of music then he was able to take appropriate work and which was perfectly suitable for the theme of his film from these competent music directors.
Along with Roshan, Salil Chaudhary was also also associated with the music of Anokhi Raat.
But lyrics are not from Kaifi Azmi.
It was a team and Hrishikesh Mukharjee was also associated with the making of this film also and perhaps this is the reason that later he refined dacoit plot in Arjun Pandit.
Anokhi Raat was second film of Asit Sen and observing his filmography we can assume that perhaps he was more comfortable with films like Safar. Emotional drama and relationships he had handled very well. There could be few lackings in thriller part.
Rather films like Safar, Anand and Amar Prem look like directed by same team though all three are directed by three different directors.
Though fact remains that Rajesh Khanna remains the common factor but still Asit Sen, Shakti Samant and Hrishikesh Mukharjee they belong to same school of film making.
Anokhi Raat’s plot can be modified to make a new film which suits to the modern sensibilities. It provides good material for a good remake and where focus remains more on a thriller genre.
@ RK..no Kaifi Azmi alongwith Indevar were the lyricist and Salil Chaudhary has given the background music.
@Dipankar,
ok Indeevar.
But which song was written by Kaifi Saab.
only mile na phhool to kanton se dosti kar lee matches with his style.
ya u r right..this is the only song he has written…rest are of Indevar…it’s really amazing that for only song Kaifi was called..think Kaifi was bigger name than Indevar in those days…
@Dipankar,
It is possible that Kaifi saab had already written this song in the past and his association with Roshan was old and Roshan knew this song and used in the film.
Normally name of lyricists should matter more with studios and big producers and directors.
Dear RK,
Its been a longtime after we discussed the bengali songs of R D Burman. Lovely piece of remembering one of the greatest actors of hindi cinema.The best part of SK was that he could fit into all kind of roles with greatest ease. Wheteher it was lying husband in Pati Patni or woh or the Thakur of Sholay or the old man in Mausam or the deaf & dumb in Koshish. But one of the movie which is not talked about much was Mahesh Bhatt’s Vishwasghat where in one of the scenes he was watching the video of his son’s childhood and the expression of joy and sadness was unforgettable.
Sanjeev,
Thats very nice to see you after a long time.
Yes a year has passed since that discussion. I have listened many times all those Bengali Songs of Pancham Da. Would like to say you thanks again. That was a wonderful thing you gave me.
Very true about Sanjeev Kumar. Not only new generation audiences who have seen very less of his films but new actors also can get a lot of benefits by watching DVDs of his films. His films will help them to improve their performances. When its becoming quite difficult to differentiate between young actors beacsue their designers are same, they are given almost similar dresses, mannerisms, and their dialogue deliveries also match , watching an actor Sanjeev kumar’s capabilities will help them to develop their individuality and bring some weight in their performances.
Thats very unfortunate part that I have two times watching Vishwasghat.
This and Arjun pandit are in my list.