When Hema Malini said Sanjeev Kumar wanted her to be an ‘all-sacrificing wife’ who looked after his mother: ‘A caricature of a male chauvin’

Just like his professional life, Sanjeev Kumar’s personal relationships also made waves. The actor came close to getting married several times, but did not go through with it. He even dated his Seeta Aur Geeta co-star Hema Malini, but the relationship ended on sour terms.
In his biography, An Actor’s Actor, writers Hanif Zaveri and Sumant Batra elaborated on their relationship and why problems began to crop up between the two of them. They mentioned that Hema and Sanjeev came close while shooting for the hit Seeta Aur Geeta song, Hawa Ke Saath Saath. During the shooting of the song, the two of them had a near-fatal accident as they skated down the hill. It was noted that the two were more concerned about each other than themselves.  “Many believe that this was the moment they began developing feelings for each other,” the book reads. Hema got an approving nod from Sanjeev’s mother. Apparently, Hema used to cover her head and would touch her feet.

However, his family were against Hema working after marriage, something that didn’t go down well with Hema’s mother. Sanjeev and his mother even arrived at Hema’s home to ask for her hand in marriage but it did not pan out.

Later in an interview to Bhawana Somaaya in 1991, Hema said that Sanjeev expected a submissive wife, something she could never be. “A 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 chauvin. 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,” she had said.