Sanjeev Kumar's birth anniversary: Exploring actor's cinematic versatility
A remarkable, distinguished actor we lost too soon, Sanjeev Kumar would have turned 85 on Sunday. He ventured into showbiz with Hum Hindustani (1960) and rapidly climbed the ladder through Nishan and Sunghursh. A two-time National Film Awardee, the actor was known for his penchant for playing offbeat, unconventional roles in movies of different genres. On his birth anniversary, we explore his famous versatility.
Kumar's most famous films that established his acting chops
Kumar will always enjoy an immortal place in the annals of Hindi films because of the many critically and commercially renowned dramas he was part of. An actor who was never insecure about starring in multistarrer dramas (that even starred his contemporaries), he headlined movies such as Arjun Pandit, Ram Tere Kitne Naam, Koshish, and Naya Din Nayi Raat (where he played nine characters!).
Kumar's comedy films: Who can forget his classic 'Angoor'?
While we love seeing comedy films and think the actors are simply effortlessly spontaneous, several artists have often spoken about how comedy is actually the most difficult genre of all. Kumar's comedic genius and unparalleled timing rose to the surface through movies such as Angoor, Biwi-O-Biwi, Hero, and Pati, Patni, Aur Woh, among others. In Angoor, he essayed a double role.
His inclination toward playing older characters set him apart
While Kumar could tragically never live to experience old age in real life, his reel life accorded him several opportunities to play a character who was several years apart from his real age! For instance, in Trishul, he played the father of Shashi Kapoor and an ailing old father of Jaya Bachchan in Parichay. In the classic film Sholay, too, he played a grandfather!
Have you checked out his suspense thriller movies?
Kumar's remarkable career was bejeweled with suspense thriller films, too! He played a blind man on a quest for revenge in Qatl, an adaptation of the American TV movie In Broad Daylight. It co-starred Sarika and Shatrughan Sinha. Some other noteworthy suspense thrillers where he spoke with his brooding eyes and concretized his place in the industry were Shikar, Uljhan, and Trishna, among others.
