Announcement! An Official Biography On Legendary Actor Sanjeev Kumar

Acclaimed author and marketer Reeta Gupta is writing the official biography of stellar actor Sanjeev Kumar, also known as Haribhai Jariwala. The announcement came on the late actor's 34th death anniversary on November 6 in Mumbai.

Uday Jariwala, nephew of the late actor and also the head of the Sanjeev Kumar Foundation, will be the co-author. Reeta Gupta says, "My friends in the film industry are very excited about this book. While there will always be an opinion on who the greatest actor in Hindi cinema is, people would universally agree that Sanjeev Kumar's unique dialogue delivery is a patent by itself."

Uday Jariwala adds, "My uncle's biography was long overdue. I was really happy when Reeta Gupta approached me with the same. The legend of Sanjeev Kumar deserves to be told, as he left us too early. The enduring charm to his 'common man' appeal remains. Producers continued to release films (a total of 10), up to 1993, eight years after his death. Even today, Indians across the globe see him as an iconic performer."

Talking more about the book, Gupta says she is clear that she's writing for a larger audience. "Sanjeev Kumar's story deserves to be told via a movie/web-series. He was the first among the outliers. There is a current generation of Bollywood actors, who look up to Sanjeev Kumar as an actor that challenged convention- and gave performers the courage to believe in their craft and earn the respect of their peers."

Uday Jariwala confirmed that friends, co-workers and family members are contributing readily to the book. The book is expected to be ready by the actor's 35th death anniversary in November 2020.

This is Reeta Gupta's third book. Her first book 'Rescript Your Life' and second book 'Interval', the authorised story of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra are both Rupa imprints.