HASSLE-FREE AND SINCERE ACTOR: SANJEEV KUMAR

 HASSLE-FREE AND SINCERE ACTOR: SANJEEV KUMAR

WRITTEN BY: RAJESH V. GAUR and RAJEEV V. GAUR

 EMAIL: sunrise607@rediffmail.com

 The birth anniversary of Hindi film industry’s icomic star Hari Jariwala better known as Sanjeev Kumar falls on 9th July. The Surat born Sanjeev had a strong theatre background and was first spotted playing the role of an elderly man when he was just 24 years of age. He was a simple man who cared less about the perception of other people In fact . Sanjeev Kumar arrived for many of his shoots in a kurta pyjama. Can you imagine the stars of today doing that. Many claim that he was famous as 'late latif’ Sanjeev bhai', because of his habit of coming late on the sets. However, his one take performance used to compensate for all. Sanjeev had a very distinct style of working. He never gave a retake, until he wanted to
                                                   

                                    
                                     Sanjeev and Leena Chandavarkar

 Sanjeev Kumar, was first noticed through his riveting performance in Sungharsh [1968]. It is said that he even overshadowed Dilip kumar in the scenes the two shared in the film.
A thinking actor, he proved that the best location for an actor is his face and what happens on it. Sanjeev’s strength, whether in the blockbusters like Khilona , or an experimental Koshish lay in his dogged sincerity. A twitch on his face could convey more than reams of dialogues.
Be it comedy or tragedy, he could do it effortlessly. It is amazing how Sanjeev could skilfully move from a flirtatious husband in Pati Patni Aur Woh to the tearful lover in Anamika. No other actor could excel at comedy like him in Angoor. In Hindi films, the only way to express anger is to scream oneself hoarse and hurl abuses of the Kutte-Kamine variety. One has to remember Trishul when Sanjeev Kumar expresses anger through his eyes. Each time Amitabh Bachchan, (who plays Sanjeev’s illegitimate son), steals a march over him, his rage becomes palpable.
                                                          

                                       
                                      Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini
            
 Naya Din Nayi Raat was Sanjeev Kumar’s magnum opus. He performed nine different roles and assayed all of them deftly. In these roles, he mixed and watched nav rasas. The feelings of comedy, humour, pathos, anger, fury, fear, valour, bravery, wonder and peace expressed by him set the screen aflame. This film earned him a permanent place in the Hall of Fame.

Sanjeev Kumar is still remembered for playing a variety of roles on the big screen. He is arguably the best mainstream actor Bollywood has seen so far. The actor played romantic, characters as well as intense roles with ease
The actor is famous for his films like 'Khilona', 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Koshish', 'Aandhi', 'Mausam', 'Angoor' and many others. He started his career with 'Hum Hindustani' in 1960. His journey from small budget films to the mainstream cinema is an inspiration for the young actors. His performance as a deaf and mute person in 'Koshish' or the way he played the Thakur in 'Sholay' are perhaps the best of his career Sanjeev Kumar has left behind a legacy of quality cinema.
                                           

                               Sanjeev and Sharmila in "Charitraheen" 
         
 At a time when actors were branded as a romantic hero, action hero or jumping jack, Sanjeev Kumar was one actor who was difficult to typecast. Even from latest lot of Bollywood actors, nobody can match Sanjeev Kumar's charm and acting finesse.

 WRITTEN BY:  RAJESH V. GAUR and RAJEEV V. GAUR

HINDI CINEMA'S AVANT- GARDE MATINEE IDOL: SHAMMI KAPOOR

Hindi Cinema"s Avant-Garde matinee Idol :  Shammi Kapoor

WRITTEN BY: RAJESH V. GAUR and  SUNEEL V. GAUR

 EMAIL: sunrise607@rediffmail.com


 Shammi Kapoor belonged to the sixties generation , those who side-by-side loved Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. Shammi Kapoor rivalled with another legend Dev Anand. Both actors portrayed, in quite a similar way, the urban debonair icon of Mumbai, with movies that were lighter compared with wholesome family dramas depicting joy and sorrow concurrently. These actors preferred playing in less cumbersome dramas and exploited lighter and easy-to-watch movies filled with comedy, romance and, above all, the most titillating Hindi movie songs that remains unrivalled to date.
One of the first major breaks of Shammi Kapoor was Nazir Husain’s film Dil Dekhe Dekho where he played the role of young musician Rocky with debutant Asha Parekh. .
                                             

                                               
 The success of Shammi Kapoor reached amazing heights with China Town followed by his first colour film, Junglee, released in 1961, which proved a blockbuster hit. Thereafter he starred in more than 100, mostly lightweight, films. His Western-style garb of leather jacket and T-shirt, and catchy, upbeat musical numbers like Suku Suku cemented his appeal among teenage filmgoers.
Kashmir Ki Kali portrayed the star with seducing green eyes and a fair complexion opposite a raw Sharmila Tagore in her maiden film role.
Shammi Kapoor paired with ravishing Saira Banu in Junglee, the performance-conscious Nutan in Laat Saheb and debutante Rajshree in Rajkumar. Alongside, he acted with Kalpana in Professor. Shammi Kapoor’s name guaranteed success for a film. No wonder many heroines made their debut in films starring the ‘yahoo’ star.
                                                        
                                                     

                                                          
 With the most gorgeous heroines of his time, Shammi Kapoor sang some chart toppers tuned with typical musical scores of maestros like Shankar Jaikishan and R.D.Burman.                                                          
                                                   
Shammi Kapoor brought shockwaves to Hindi Cinema by retiring in 1971. After being, for a decade, the nonchalant and charming matinee idol who teased so many belles, Shammi Kapoor grew more serious by enacting in a socially-engaging way in Bramachari (1969) which won him the Filmfare award.
                                                    

                Shammi Kapoor with his friend and writer Of China Town,     
                 Singapore and Jaane Anjane- Vrajendra Gaur.

Andaz was the final movie of Shammi Kapoor in the main lead . He was only forty then.
Shammi Kapoor’s sudden disappearance from movies in 1972 illustrated that Hindi Cinema was then going through a new phase with upcoming action heroes like Dharmendra and, angry young man, Amitabh Bachchan. Shammi seemed to be disenchanted with the glitz of the cinema world.
In 1974, Shammi Kapoor shifted to character roles with Zameer . He also directed the unsuccessful Manoranjan in 1975 which was inspired by the Hollywood hit Irma La Douce,
The twist and turns of an agile but rather corpulent man, the amorous looks of a blue-eyed boy, and the nonchalance of an evergreen hero; has now gone down memory lane.
                                                          
WRITTEN BY:  RAJESH V. GAUR   and  SUNEEL V. GAUR