Sanjeev Kumar’s friends abandoned him after ill health, owed him Rs 1 crore: ‘Nobody, except Boney Kapoor returned the money’

However, his indulgent lifestyle took a toll on his health. Years of excessive drinking eventually led to heart problems, forcing him to undergo surgery. Afterward, doctors strictly advised him to quit alcohol — and he obliged. But the decision came at a cost.

In a recent interview with journalist Vicky Lalwani, Sanjeev Kumar’s niece Jigna Shah and veteran film journalist-author Hanif Zaveri revealed that the actor was left heartbroken when his friends deserted him.

ALSO READ | Farah Khan’s cook Dilip says the former increased his salary after YouTube vlogs did well, calls himself a star: ‘Need to check your suitcase’

“All of Sanjeev Kumar’s friends, who used to spend every evening with him over drinks, suddenly disappeared after he stopped drinking post-surgery,” Jigna shared. “None of them even came to check on him. It really hurt him.”

She added, “He was a genuine friend to them, but for them, he was only a source of alcohol and freebies.”

Hanif Zaveri further clarified misconceptions about the actor’s nature: “There are people who called Sanjeev Kumar ‘kanjoos’ (stingy), but that’s far from the truth. He was incredibly generous — he gifted cars to friends, bought a house for Dilip Dutt and his manager Jamnadas. He lived for his friends, but nobody ever truly understood him.”

Jigna went on to say, “I’ve never seen anyone like him in the industry. I was just 14 when he passed away, but I’ve always heard stories in my family that he gave away nearly Rs 1 crore to people from the industry — and this was in the 1980s.”

According to her, the only person who returned any money was producer Boney Kapoor. “After Sanjeev Kumar passed away, Boney Kapoor came to us with Rs 3 lakh,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I owe him more, but this is what I can return right now. Please keep it.’ Nobody else ever returned anything.”

When asked to name others who borrowed from the actor, Hanif declined, saying, “I can’t take names.” Jigna added, “They were all his dear friends — people he met every day. And yes, they were all quite rich.”

Sanjeev Kumar died quite young. He was 47 when he breathed his last after suffering a massive heart attack. By this time, he had starred in over 150 films.