An acting powerhouse - Sanjeev Kumar

I would like to remember one of India's finest actors the late great Sanjeev Kumar today. Unfortunately he died in 1985 at the relatively young age of 47. In a career spanning more than 20 years he worked in about 100 Hindi movies. Most of his movies were very good and his performances were top notch. He won several acting awards during his career. I plan on discussing a few of his performances - the ones I have enjoyed the most over the years.

The first movie I will mention is one of my all time favourites, Sholay. Sholay was a great ensemble movie and a thorough entertainer. Sanjeev Kumar played a retired police officer who lives in a village and plans to avenge his family's death by hiring two ex-convicts. In a movie in which most accolades went to the villain played wonderfully by Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar held his own as he portrayed his character. The scene in the movie when he mourns the death of his family members is so chillingly real. We can see the pain and anguish in his eyes and his mannerisms. The climax of the movie in which he fights with the villain is probably the best fight scene in my opinion. It is a simple scene in which the personification of good (Sanjeev's character) fights with the personification of evil (Amjad's character). I have seen this scene at least 7 times in the last 12 years or so and I have never gotten tired of this scene.

The second movie I will briefly discuss is Angoor. Angoor is a classic comedy based on William Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. The movie is set in a small Indian town and Sanjeev plays two characters (twins separated at birth who meet at the end of the movie). His comic timing and flair is very evident in this movie. His camaraderie with co-actor Deven Verma and scenes with other actors (especially Deepti Naval, who plays one of his characters' sister-in-law) are hilarious and endearing. His two characters are quite different from each other and he must have worked hard in preparing for both roles.

The third movie I will talk about is Trishul. It is another ensemble movie in which Sanjeev works with some other fine actors. He plays a selfish businessman who leaves his first partner when she is pregnant and moves to the city and eventually marries a daughter of a rich tycoon. Years later his son from the previous relationship confronts him. Sanjeev Kumar played this not so likeable character with a lot of grace. He plays a rich man very well and his mannerisms and gestures are a treat to watch. When I watched the movie I looked forward to his scenes the most.

The final movie I will discuss today is Kaala Pathar. He has a minor role in the movie but he still leaves an impact. This is another ensemble movie that deals with coal miners and their struggle with an unethical and selfish mine owner. Sanjeev Kumar plays a doctor who is leaving the town and is advising the new doctor. He portrays his frustration of being a doctor in the town so well as there are many challenges. In his only scene he is able to convey so much to the audience; I think other actors would have needed more time to express the emotions he did so well.

There are many other movies that he excelled in, including Khilona, Mausam, Sanghursh, Aandhi, Dastak, etc. I have seen many of his movies but look forward to seeing many more in the future. I think he left a treasure of wonderful movies and roles so that millions of people in India and worldwide could see his exceptional work. I convey my sincere thanks to him for being a great actor and bringing so much joy to millions of people through his work. Rest in peace dear Sanjeev Kumar. You will always be missed by many people in India and around the world.