How Sanjeev Kumar, A Former Stuntman, Landed His Breakthrough Role In Dilip Kumar's Sunghursh

In the late 1960s, Sanjeev Kumar was a struggling actor grappling with self-doubt and uncertainty. His breakthrough came with Sunghursh (1968) but behind that big break was an unlikely hero, his loyal secretary, Jamnadas.

The plot of Sunghursh revolved around Bhawani Prasad (Jayant), a criminal who feigns his identity as a holy man and is separated from his wife and son. He then forcibly takes his grandson named Kundan (Dilip Kumar who played the adult role) along with him, to follow in his footsteps. Sanjeev Kumar played the role of  Dwarka Prasad who tries to end a feud between two families.

A veteran documentary filmmaker told NDTV on condition of anonymity that director HS Rawail was on the lookout for someone who could hold his own opposite the great Dilip Kumar. But most known faces turned down the role, afraid of being overshadowed. Sanjeev Kumar, still carrying the tag of a former stuntman, believed he was right for the part, but he didn't have the courage to approach Rawail himself. Instead, he sent Jamnadas.

Jamnadas became Sanjeev's tireless ambassador. He went to Rawail's office repeatedly with photographs, trying to convince him to consider Sanjeev. Rawail, annoyed by the persistence, eventually banned him from entering. Still, Jamnadas didn't give up. He told Sanjeev that Rawail had just been busy and quietly came up with another plan.

He reached out to director Ramesh Saigal an old friend of Rawail and his regular card partner. On the pretext of casting for another project, Saigal showed Rawail reels of Sanjeev's unreleased work. Watching those clips, Rawail finally saw what Jamnadas had seen all along.

He realized this was the same actor then known as Harihar Jariwala whose stage performance had once left a deep impression on him. Rawail was convinced, Sanjeev was his man.

The shoot at Famous Studio in Mahalaxmi was a turning point. Sanjeev's very first scene opposite Dilip Kumar a silent, high-stakes chess game was so flawless, it didn't need a single retake. 

When the film released, industry rumours flew about Dilip Kumar allegedly refusing to work with Sanjeev again. But the veteran actor dismissed them, saying he'd only turned down weak scripts. Years later, the two worked together in Vidhaata (1982).

The most touching moment came later, when Rawail told Sanjeev how fiercely Jamnadas had fought for him despite being thrown out of his office. From that day on, he never referred to him as just Jamnadas he became "Jamnadas ji".

It's a timeless story of perseverance, loyalty, and the quiet champion who never stopped believing in his friend's dream.