You can call it a cosmic connection between two star-crossed lovers or sheer coincidence. Actor-singer Sulakshana Pandit died on November 6, a day that also marks Sanjeev Kumar's death anniversary. Sanjeev Kumar was the man Sulakshana was madly in love with, but that love was never reciprocated.
Sulakshana Fell In Love With Sanjeev Kumar In Her Debut Film
By then, Sulakshana Pandit had already established herself as a singer. At the same time, she took the plunge and made her big-screen debut opposite Sanjeev Kumar in the suspense thriller Uljhan (1975).
It was during the filming that she fell in love with him; Sanjeev Kumar, however, was trying to heal himself from the pain of rejection.
Sanjeev Kumar was in love with Hema Malini. Their love blossomed on the set of Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), but Hema Malini had fallen for Dharmendra and never reciprocated his feelings.
Sulakshana often listened as Sanjeev spoke about his lost love. While Sanjeev poured his heart out, Sulakshana gradually fell for him—slowly and completely. She hoped that one day he would see her for who she was and love her back.
But fate had other plans. Overwhelmed by the agony of rejection, Sanjeev Kumar turned to alcohol. He later suffered a massive heart attack and was taken to the United States for bypass surgery. When he returned, Sulakshana, driven by love and faith, took him to a temple and proposed to him. Sanjeev, however, refused.
Still, she never left his side. According to reports, she continued to care for and support him in every possible way.
But then came a moment that broke her emotionally and physically. After Sanjeev Kumar's untimely death in 1985, she sank into a deep depression. Soon after, her mother passed away, leaving her emotionally shattered. In a throwback interview, she once said: "These deaths had a lasting impact on me. They took a toll on my health. I was mentally disturbed and shaken for the longest time."
In 2006, her younger sister Vijayta Pandit and brother-in-law, composer Aadesh Shrivastava, took her into their care. Under their support, her condition improved, but the trauma had left deep scars. She broke her hip and, after four surgeries, remained largely out of the public eye, battling physical distress and emotional wounds.
Sanjeev Kumar And Sulakshana Pandit's Films
After Uljhan, Sanjeev Kumar and Sulakshana collaborated in films including Waqt Ki Deewar (1981), Chehre Pe Chehra (1981), and Do Waqt Ki Roti (1988).
Who Was Sulakshana Pandit?
Sulakshana Pandit hailed from a musical family in Hisar, Haryana. Pandit Jasraj was her uncle.
Sulakshana started singing at the age of nine and launched her music career with her brother Mandheer. Her siblings include Jatin Pandit, Lalit Pandit, and yesteryear actress Vijayta Pandit. Her famous songs include Bekrar Dil Tut Gaya, Baandhi Re Kahe Preet, and Somvaar Ko Hum Mile.
The actress died on Thursday due to cardiac arrest, brother Lalit Pandit confirmed the news. She was 71.
Sulakshana was being taken to Nanavati hospital but she died on her way to the hospital. "She passed away due to cardiac arrest around 7 pm. She had complained of breathlessness and seemed a bit unwell. We were taking her to Nanavati hospital but she died before we could reach the hospital," Lalit Pandit told PTI.