Birthday Special: Sanjeev Kumar whose miserliness was questioned

A group of students studying acting in one of the many acting schools in Mumbai said they wanted to see me, and they asked me to talk about Sanjeev Kumar, I cannot stop the students from gaining knowledge, nor can I refuse to give them the knowledge that I have and since Sanjeev Kumar was one of the best actors in my opinion. - Ali Peter John

when we met we talked

I called that group to my cafe and if I expected them to ask me serious questions about Sanjeev's skills or his contribution to Indian cinema, I was stupid and wrong, first of all, some of the girls asked me about his affairs with women, and I looked at them which showed my displeasure at starting our talk with such a stupid question and I think they understood that, but the next question surprised me, the girl who looked like the leader of the group asked me, "Was Haribhai a miser?"

When he did not refuse to do films even for half the price or for free

 I refused to ask them any more questions and asked them all if they would like to have tea and I started thinking seriously about the question they had asked me, was Sanjeev Kumar really a miser? Was Sanjeev a miser when he like his idol Dilip Kumar never demanded prices which producers could not pay and even did many films for 'free' or 'half' or even less! Was Sanjeev Kumar a miser when he could have bought a very nice apartment in the city of his dreams but he settled in a two-bedroom house in a very old building called 'Perinvilla' situated on Pali Hill where he had his own room which was like a cubicle for him and the rest of the house was for his younger brother Nikul and his family. How could anyone call Haribhai a miser when he refused the offer of having his own house in Juhu or anywhere he got from his many millionaire fans. Before I go into any further questions, let me share this little story.

Haribhai, I have come here to make a film, not to build a bungalow

One afternoon Sanjeev and K. Asif were roaming the lanes of Juhu, it was a time when new stars like Manoj Kumar, Dharmendra, and even Dara Singh and all the leading filmmakers at that time bought land for their own 'bungalows' and 'mansions' in the future, Sanjeev looked at Asif and asked Asif, “Asif sahab, look at the kind of people who are dreaming of building bungalows here, why don't you build a bungalow for yourself?” Asif took a deep drag from his cigarette in a stylish way and said, “Haribhai I have come here to make films, not bungalows” It was a very strange afternoon because neither Sanjeev nor Asif had their own homes till the very end. Asif died in an old two-bedroom apartment, and Sanjeev died in his room in the same apartment in Perinvilla......

No one can call Haribhai a miser

When the truth was that he spent most of his money on his brothers, Nakul and Kishore, and his personal staff like the famous make-up man, Sarosh Modi, his secretary Jumundas, and Narayan? This was apart from their entertainment, and he also took care of the families of his many friends from his theatre days like Subhash Indori, Suroor Lucknowvi, and Satpal among many others. How can Haribhai be called a miser when he lived the life of a king with a luxurious lifestyle in which he had the best food, the best alcohol, and the best company.

The best party is the one you invite yourself, drink with yourself and talk to yourself

Did Haribhai's not having regular parties in all the best hotels make him a miserly man? He once told me that he did not like to have or attend parties, and even avoided them because he never felt comfortable in such places once said, "The best party is the one you invite yourself, drink with your own people and talk to yourself."

Vikram Bhatt in Sanjeev Kumar's lap

And if you ask me, I think he was right in whatever he was because he knew somewhere deep inside himself, and sorry, but he knew and was sure that he would die before he turned 50. It was a prophecy he made to himself. When I met him at Hotel Bangalore International he told me when he was quite drunk, that no male member of his family lived beyond 50, my friend Haribhai, who made me feel like a king during all those evenings we spent together. He died in that very cubicle when he was alone there with only one fan Sachin, and the first star to see him dead was the great Dilip Kumar, who called him, 'An actor that both God and man would be proud of'

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