Latest news with #Sunghursh
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
How Sanjeev Kumar, A Former Stuntman, Landed His Breakthrough Role In Dilip Kumar's Sunghursh
New Delhi: 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.
India.com
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Remember actress who played Sita's mother in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan? Was brutally murdered, police believed the reason was..., her name was...
Remember actress who played Sita's mother in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan? Was brutally murdered, police believed the reason was..., her name was... Ramanand Sagar's mythological series Ramayan holds a special place in audiences' hearts. Aired between 1987 to 1988 on DD National, the show became cult-classic, and made several actors household names. One of them was Urmila Bhatt, the actress who portrayed the role of Sita's mother Maharani Sunaina, in the show. She garnered appreciation for her notable performance, and later starred in other rememberable television serials. She was also a popular film actress, whose work spanned across Gujarat, Rajasthan and Hindi film industries. Who was Urmila Bhatt? Born on November 1, 1993, Urmila started working as a theatre artist, and later joined Sangeet Kala Academy in Rajkot as a folk dancer and singer. She rose to fame with her Gujarati drama Jesal Toran. Urmila then acted in over 75 Gujarati films, and over 15-20 Rajasthani films. In the late 1960s, she stepped into Hindi film industry and did films like Sunghursh (1968) and Hamraaz (1967). A few other popular films done by her are Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978), Geet Gaata Chal (1975), Besharam (1978), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Balika Badhu (1976), Dhund (1973) and Alibaba Marjinaa (1977) . Besides that, she portrayed several supporting characters. After Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, she made episodic appearances in Shyam Bengal's Bharat Ek Khoj in 1989 and in Zee TV's Zee Horror Show in 1996. Urmila Bhatt's tragic death On February 22, 1997, Bhatt was found murdered at her Juhu residence. According to the police, her death came to light the other day, when her son-in-law visited her and found that no one answered the door bell. He immediately called his wife, and the two then found that the house was raided, and her mother was killed by robbers. Police too suspected robbery to be the motive. According to reports, she was alone at home, and her husband was away in Baroda. Died at 63, Urmila is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter. Her death was a shocker to the entire entertainment fraternity. From theatre, television to films, her impeccable contribution in the industry is widely remembered till date.
