'Broke' Sanjeev Kumar Did C-Grade Films, Friends Owed Him Rs 96 Lakh

Journalist Hanif Zaveri added, "When Sanjeev got to know that Shatrughan needed money, he gave around Rs 5-7 lakh. They had a deep friendship"

02 Oct 2026, 11:54 · NDTV

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Sanjeev Kumar worked in C-grade films early due to his family's financial struggles
He gave Rs 96 lakh as loans to friends, never fully recovered by his family
Kumar financially supported friends Shatrughan Sinha and Boney Kapoor without formalities

Why did Sanjeev Kumar's relationship with Hema Malini end?
New Delhi:

Sanjeev Kumar, who gave us unforgettable films such as Sholay, Aandhi, Trishul, Koshish and Mausam, achieved phenomenal success, but only for a short time. In a recent interaction, journalist Hanif Zaveri opened up about Sanjeev Kumar's struggling period early in his career, when he accepted all kinds of C-grade films because his family desperately needed money.

In a chat shared on Meri Saheli Podcast's YouTube channel, Hanif Zaveri spoke about the actor's struggling phase, when he owned only two sets of clothes while his mother was trying to manage his father's failing business. He mentioned that this was at the beginning of Sanjeev Kumar's journey when he was trying his luck in films.

"He didn't know that the films he was doing were C-grade. He was quite broke, so he was doing whatever work he could get," recalled Hanif Zaveri.

When Sanjeev Kumar Gave Away Rs 96 Lakh And Never Got It Back

Furthermore, the journalist recalled how Sanjeev Kumar gave loans worth Rs 96 lakh to friends and never got the money back.

"He gave Rs 96 lakh away as loans to his friends, who never paid him back. He paid for his driver's wedding. He gifted a car to one of his friends. When Sanjeev made his will, he kept Rs 2 lakh aside for his driver's son's education. People who are miserly don't do this. He was simply against unnecessary expenditure," added Zaveri.

He continued, "When Shatrughan Sinha needed money, Sanjeev Kumar gave it to him even though Shatrughan hadn't asked for it. Boney Kapoor needed money too, so he gave it to him as well, without any documentation or formalities. After Sanjeev died, Boney returned the money to his family. Even the family didn't know he had given that money."

He also spoke about the lovely bond that Sanjeev Kumar and Shatrughan Sinha shared. He recalled how Sanjeev Kumar would hype up Shatrughan Sinha in front of producers when the latter returned from FTII.

"They shared a deep friendship. When Sanjeev got to know that Shatrughan needed money, he was the first person to help out. He gave around Rs 5-7 lakh," added the journalist.

On Sanjeev Kumar Not Marrying Sulakshana Pandit

Furthermore, Hanif spoke about how Sanjeev Kumar eventually caught the attention of ace filmmakers, but his love life was in turmoil, which often impacted his professional life.

After things did not work out with Hema Malini and Nutan, Sanjeev Kumar entered into a relationship with actor-singer Sulakshana Pandit, but he never married her.

"He had already suffered two heart attacks by the time he met Sulakshana Pandit. He did not want to marry anyone. He believed that he had a short life, and he felt this way because all the men in his family had died before the age of 50. He believed that he too would die before turning 50, so he did not want to get married and spoil someone else's life. That was the only reason why he did not marry her," said Hanif.

Sanjeev Kumar died on November 6, 1985. Sulakshana Pandit, died on the same date in 2025.

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