This actress, who sang in concerts with Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar, was madly in love with Sanjeev Kumar, but he never loved her back

Shashi Kapoor and Sulakshana Pandit shared screen space in the 1978 film Phaansi. (Photo: Express Archives)

From the age of nine, Sulakshana Pandit was performing on stage and in films. Her debut came with “Saat Samundar Paar Se, Papa Jaldi Aana” in Taqdeer (1967), alongside Lata Mangeshkar. She followed it with timeless melodies like “Dil Jo Duniya Ke Ghamo Dard Se Ghabraye” in Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein, “Tu Hi Saagar Tu Hi Kinara” in Sankalp, and “Beqaraar Dil Tu Gaaye Ja” in Door Ka Rahi, among others. She also shared the stage with the likes of Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi.

In a heartfelt recollection, her brother Jatin Pandit once said in a YouTube video: “Sulakshana was doing these shows through which we were sustaining the family.” He also recalled how Dilip Kumar helped Sulakshana in her early days by recommending her to music composer Naushad, and how Mohammed Rafi, upon hearing her sing at the age of 13, invited her to perform in his concerts: “In our family, if somebody went abroad for the first time, it was her—with Mohd. Rafi. And she used to praise the style of living there to us.”

Music director Bappi Lahiri with Sulakshana Pandit. (Photo: Express Archives)

While Sulakshana Pandit was already making waves as a singer, she eventually ventured into acting. Her big-screen debut opposite Sanjeev Kumar came in the suspense thriller Uljhan (1975). It was during this film that she fell in love with him; at a time when Sanjeev was nursing the wounds of his heartbreak with Hema Malini. Their connection grew quietly. Sulakshana would often listen to Sanjeev speak about his lost love. In those conversations, as he poured his heart out, she found herself falling for him, slowly, silently, and completely. She hoped that one day, he would see her for who she was, and love her back.

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But fate had other plans. Sanjeev, consumed by his own sorrow, began turning 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. She proposed to him in the most heartfelt way possible but Sanjeev refused. Still, she never left his side. According to reports, she continued to care for him and support him in every possible way.

Sanjeev Kumar and Sulakshana Pandit on the set of film Uljhan. (Photo: Express Archives)

Even as her personal life remained unfulfilled, Sulakshana Pandit’s professional journey was gathering steam. In Sankalp (1975), directed by Ramesh Saigal, she sang the hauntingly beautiful “Tu Hi Saagar Tu Hi Kinara,” composed by Khayyam, a rendition that won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She won praise for her role as Lolita in Anil Ganguly’s Sankoch (1976), based on Sarat Chandra’s Parineeta. She went on to star in popular films like Hera Pheri (1976), Apnapan (1977), Shankar Shambhu (1976), and Khandaan (1979), among many others.

But then came the moment that would break her spirit: Sanjeev Kumar’s untimely death in 1985. For Sulakshana, it was a loss beyond words. Already heartbroken, she sank into a deep depression. Soon after, her mother also passed away, leaving her emotionally shattered. In a candid 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.”

Sulakshana Pandit starred opposite Rajesh Khanna in the 1976 comedy Bundal Baaz. (Photo: Express Archives)

Work offers dried up. The industry moved on. But Sulakshana Pandit couldn’t. In 2006, her younger sister Vijayta Pandit and brother-in-law, composer Aadesh Shrivastava, brought her to live with them. Under their care, her condition improved, but the trauma had left scars too deep. She remains largely out of the public eye, still struggling to gather the strength to return to the world she once lit up with her voice and presence.