RIP Sulakshana Pandit: Remembering The Veteran Singer`s Love for Sanjeev Kumar
Updated on: 07 November, 2025 03:50 PM IST |Shweta Shah
When Sulakshana Pandit Proposed to Sanjeev Kumar
Veteran actress–singer Sulakshana Pandit, whose voice and screen presence defined a rich era of Indian cinema, passed away on November 6.
Her departure marks the end of a remarkable chapter in Bollywood history — and opens a window into a tender story of unrequited love with Sanjeev Kumar, whom she admired deeply.
Sulakshana first crossed paths with Sanjeev Kumar on the set of their 1975 suspense thriller Uljhan. Although already a rising singing star, she made her acting debut opposite him.
It was during this time that she “gradually fell for him—slowly and completely.” Sanjeev, recovering from a bypass surgery in the US and coping with heartbreak of his own, was not in a position to return those feelings.
Driven by hope and belief, she took a bold step: she chose a temple outing as her moment and proposed to him. “When he returned … Sulakshana, driven by love and faith, took him to a temple and proposed to him.”
But Sanjeev Kumar, steadfast in his own personal journey, refused her proposal. “They had a lost love. Sanjeev was trying to heal… while Sulakshana listened as he spoke about his lost love.”
Despite the refusal, Sulakshana’s care for him never waned. She supported him quietly, standing by the man she loved as he faced his health and emotional battles. “Still, she never left his side."
According to reports, she continued to care for and support him in every possible way.”
But the weight of his sudden passing in 1985 plunged her into a deep emotional and physical crisis. “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.”
Born into a musical family, Sulakshana’s contributions spanned singing and acting, and her life story carries a rare blend of talent, devotion and silent longing.
As we remember her on the day the man she loved also rests in memory, the poignancy of her unreciprocated affection for Sanjeev Kumar lends her legacy an added depth — one of enduring hope, heartbreak and artistic grace.
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