The 1975 film ‘Sholay’ is one of the most iconic movies in Indian cinema. However, behind the scenes, there was plenty of drama. Lead actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini were in a relationship during the filming, but not many people know that actor Sanjeev Kumar, who played Thakur in the film, was also in love with Hema. He even proposed to her on the set, which created tension among the stars.

Sanjeev Kumar’s feelings for Hema Malini
According to Bollywood Shaadis, Sanjeev Kumar had strong feelings for Hema Malini and had previously asked her parents for permission to marry her in the early 1970s. However, both Hema and her parents turned down his request, which left him heartbroken. This rejection reportedly led to some bitterness between them.

Their love story began in 1972 while filming ‘Seeta Aur Geeta.’ As mentioned in the book ‘An Actor’s Actor’ by Hanif Zaveri and Sumant Batra, “Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini became acquainted with each other while shooting for the song ‘Hawa Ke Saath Saath,’ in which they had to skate through the picturesque roads of Mahabaleshwar.”
During the shoot, a terrifying incident brought them closer. The book describes the moment: “In one terrifying moment, the trolley came loose while both Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar were on it and veered towards a cliff. Luckily, the road bent inwards, and both the actors fell away from the treacherous precipice. They escaped with minor cuts and bruises. This brush with death brought them closer. The moment they recovered from the accident, they were more concerned about each other than their own well-being. Many believe that this was the moment they began developing feelings for each other.”

A marriage proposal that ended in disappointment
Sanjeev Kumar later decided to make his relationship with Hema official. He, along with his mother, Shantaben Jariwala, visited Hema’s family in Madras to ask for her hand in marriage. The book further reveals, “The Jariwalas decided to visit Hema’s family in Madras and ask for her hand. Sanjeev, Hema, and Shantaben planned the visit, fixed a date, and got their tickets. As was customary, Shantaben arrived at Hema’s home with boxes of sweets, and Hema Malini’s mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, was happy to meet Sanjeev’s family. The cultural difference did not pose a hurdle, but Hema Malini’s film career became a bone of contention.”
Jaya Chakravarthy, Hema’s mother, was firm that Hema should be allowed to continue acting after marriage. She made this condition clear: “For the Jariwala family, this was a difficult condition to accept. Shantaben and Sanjeev were clear from the start that they would not allow Hema to act in films after marriage. According to Gayatri Patel, Hema herself had promised Sanjeev that she would complete only her pending assignments before bidding farewell to the film world.”
Since Hema was one of the highest-paid actresses of her time, she understood why her mother insisted on her continuing her career. Hema believed that Sanjeev would eventually change his mind, while Sanjeev hoped she would convince her mother. However, neither of them was willing to compromise, and this ultimately led to their breakup.
Hema Malini’s thoughts on Sanjeev Kumar’s expectations
Years later, in a 1991 interview with Junior G magazine, Hema Malini spoke about Sanjeev Kumar’s expectations of marriage: “Sanjeev Kumar, who desired a stay-at-home, all-sacrificing wife who would care for his ageing mother and support him while he mesmerized the audience and won accolades, seems like a caricature of a male chauvinist. But before judging him too harshly, let’s consider the era we are dealing with. Back in the day, it was common to look down upon women who chose to be a part of showbiz.”
Tension on the ‘Sholay’ set
By the time ‘Sholay’ was being filmed, Hema Malini had already started dating Dharmendra. Not knowing this, Sanjeev Kumar proposed to Hema again on the film set. This unexpected proposal made both Hema and Dharmendra very upset. Dharmendra was furious and asked the film’s director, Ramesh Sippy, to maintain some “decorum” on set. He even requested that Hema and Sanjeev should not be given any scenes together. Since Dharmendra was a big star and an important part of the film, Sippy agreed to his request. As a result, in the entire movie, the characters of Thakur (played by Sanjeev Kumar) and Basanti (played by Hema Malini) do not share a single scene together.
Hema went on to marry Dharmendra in 1980. They have two daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol.