MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
Some actors are born with the chameleon-like ability to become anyone they desire. Sanjeev Kumar was one such actor. In Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974) for instance, he played nine different characters. And he made sure each character looked different from the other. It wasn’t just the change in the costume or wig that made the difference. He brought in different mannerisms, accents, quirks into play as well. You didn’t get bored watching nine of him on screen. In an era where stars were dashingly handsome and generally played heroic characters, Sanjeev Kumar stood out for his hunger to play as many different roles as he could. Not that he wasn’t handsome. He could have gone through the staple ‘hero’ roles blindfolded. But he knew his acting itch wouldn’t have been satisfied by that limited experience. He acted as Jaya Bachchan’s beau in Naya Din Nayi Raat. The actor shared a fantastic camaraderie with her. He appeared as her father in Parichay, as her husband in Koshish, and as her father-inlaw in Sholay. And it says much about his versatility that he played each role with consummate ease.
Sanjeev Kumar was his screen name. He was born as Harihar Jethalal Jariwala and was known by his nickname Haribhai in the industry. It was filmmaker Saawan Kumar Tak, famous for his films in (1967) with Sanjeev Kumar. It was a film which depicted the horrors runaway kids were subjected to. The actor played a caring mentor to a young orphaned kid who doesn’t have any relatives and hence he’s told he’s related to Nehru.
