Sulakshana Pandit's acting career peaked in 1970s; was devastated by Sanjeev Kumar's rejection of wedding proposal
Bollywood actress and singer Sulakshana Pandit passed away in Mumbai on Thursday at 7 p.m. She was 71 years old. She died of a heart attack and had been ill for a long time.
Sulakshana Pandit breathed her last at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai. Preparations for her funeral began on Friday at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Vile Parle, Mumbai. Bollywood celebrities arrived to pay their respects.
Fans and colleagues from the film fraternity have expressed deep sorrow over her death. They remembered her as one of the most graceful and talented artists of her time.
Sulakshana's brother, Lalit Pandit, said, "She was having trouble breathing and wasn't feeling well. We were taking her to Nanavati Hospital, but she passed away before reaching the hospital."
Sulakshana Pandit's full name was Sulakshana Pratap Narayan Pandit. Her family was involved in music.
Sulakshana Pandit began singing at the age of 9. Born on July 12, 1954, she came from a musical family. Her uncle was the legendary classical singer Pandit Jasraj. She had three brothers and three sisters. Jatin and Lalit are renowned music directors, while their sister, Vijayta Pandit, is an actress and playback singer.
She sang the famous song "Saat Samundar Paar Se" with Lata Mangeshkar in the 1967 film "Taqdeer." In 1975, she received a Filmfare Award for the song "Tu Hi Sagar Hai Tu Hi Kinara" from the film "Sankalp."
She sang with singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Yesudas, and Udit Narayan. In 1980, her album "Jazbaat" (HMV) was released, in which she sang ghazals.
In 1986, she performed at the Festival of Indian Music at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Her voice was last heard in the song "Sagar Kinare Bhi Do Dil" from the 1996 film "Khamoshi: The Musical," composed by her brothers Jatin and Lalit.
She began acting in 1975 and worked with top actors.
Sulakshana Pandit's acting career peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. She was one of Bollywood's most renowned actresses during that period. She worked with almost all the top actors of the time.
Her film career began in 1975 with the film "Uljhan." She then played Lalita in Anil Ganguly's film "Sankoch" (1976), based on the novel "Parineeta."
Sulakshana Pandit worked with many prominent actors of her time. She starred in "Khanjar" with Jeetendra, "Uljhan" with Sanjeev Kumar, and "Bajrang Bali" (1976).
She shared the screen with Rajesh Khanna in "Bhola Bhala" and "Bandhan Kachche Dhaagon Ka." Her films with Vinod Khanna include "Hera Pheri" and "Aaroh."
Additionally, she worked with Shashi Kapoor in Chambal Ki Kasam and with Shatrughan Sinha in Amiri Garib. Sulakshana played memorable roles in films like Apnapan, Khandaan, Chehre Pe Chehra, Dharam Kanta, and Waqt Ki Deewar.
Her unfinished relationship with actor Sanjeev Kumar had a profound impact on her life. She later faced health and financial difficulties. It is said that Sulakshana Pandit was deeply in love with actor Sanjeev Kumar. During the shooting of the 1975 film 'Uljhan', their love blossomed and she proposed marriage to Sanjeev Kumar.
Sanjeev Kumar played Anand K. Chandra and Sulakshana Pandit played Karuna in the film Uljhan.
However, Sanjeev Kumar rejected her proposal. The reason for this was Sanjeev's unrequited love for Hema Malini. Sanjeev Kumar wanted to marry Hema Malini, but she rejected his proposal. Sanjeev Kumar never recovered from the heartbreak he suffered at Hema's hands.
Meanwhile, Sulakshana Pandit was devastated by Sanjeev Kumar's rejection. She decided to remain unmarried and live in solitude. After Sanjeev's death, Sulakshana became mentally unstable and lived with her sister Vijayta Pandit for many years.
Coincidentally, Sanjeev Kumar also passed away on November 6th. He passed away in 1985, and exactly 40 years later, Sulakshana Pandit also passed away on the same day.