Actor Anil Kapoor launched the book ‘Sanjeev Kumar- The actor we all loved’ which is the biography of veteran actor Late Sanjeev Kumar on his 84th birth anniversary on Saturday.
Sanjeev Kumar was one of the most powerful actors of the 1970s – the golden era of Hindi cinema. He was every director’s fail-safe artiste. When he entered the frame, the audience would sigh with relief, ‘Nothing can go wrong now!’
Launching the book actor Anil Kapoor said, “We must all celebrate 9th July, Sanjeev Kumar’s birthday. All of us actors are inspired by him, especially the realistic acting that Sanjeev Kumar bought to the theater and to Indian cinema.”
“He was indeed a Master of his Craft and a treat for all senses. What he has achieved in a short span of his career -I have no words to express. This book by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta will bring his movies alive again. Lovers of cinema will always remember each and every performance of his. He is the reason I’m here and then reason We could produce Hum paanch & I could act in Woh Saath Din,” Kapoor further added.
The book is co-authored by his nephew Uday Jariwala and Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta. The book takes us through Sanjeev Kumar’s journey to becoming one of the greatest actors Bollywood has seen, with personal essays by his friends and leading Bollywood names including Gulzar, Randhir Kapoor, and co-stars Sharmila Tagore, Moushmi Chatterjee, Tanuja, among others.
Commenting on her experience of narrating Sanjeev Kumar’s life story, co-author Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta comments ‘It took me four years, multiple interviews with over 25 contributors, poring over 800 magazine articles in five languages to write this book.”
“Sanjeev Kumar was one of those rare performers who ‘became the character’, instead of playing it and his National Awards prove it. The book chronicles his rags-to-riches story, his motivations, his fears, and his God-gifted talent. Readers will feel that they are in the same room as Sanjeev Kumar- understanding his life firsthand. It is an entertaining read and a prep for aspiring actors, all at once,” she further added.
Co-author Uday Jariwala said, “I still remember that for a very long time after Sanjeev dada’s demise, every time the door opened, I thought it was him entering the house. He would cuddle me and play with me. He left a vacuum in our lives that we can never fill. My family and I are excited to present Sanjeev Kumar: The Actor We All Loved. This book is a labor of love and it has taken us almost four years to complete. It is an authentic representation of his life. For the first time, his fans will get to know him up close as he really was.”