REVEALED: When Nutan had publicly SLAPPED Sanjeev Kumar and had said, ‘Sanjeev isn’t even worth my husband’s toenail!’

By Fenil Seta -

July 20, 2022 - 12:00 PM IST

Sanjeev Kumar made a mark in the film industry in the 1960s. Slowly, he got recognition and began to be known for his flawless acting talent. His on-screen work had kept him in the news for most of the time in those days. However, his romantic relationships and the trouble it caused also made it to the headlines. His biography, 'Sanjeev Kumar: The Actor We All Loved', written by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta and Sanjeev’s nephew Uday Jariwala touches upon several such episodes, one of them being the shocking incident wherein actress Nutan had publicly slapped Sanjeev Kumar.

REVEALED: When Nutan had publicly SLAPPED Sanjeev Kumar and had said, ‘Sanjeev isn’t even worth my husband’s toenail!’

The slapping incident took place on the sets of the film Devi (1970), which starred both the actors. As per the book, Sanjeev Kumar first worked with Nutan in Gauri (1968), followed by Devi. Sanjeev was awestruck by her beauty and their alleged relationship began. However, Nutan was already married to Naval Lt Commander Rajnish Bahl in 1959.

As their relationship developed, the media got a hint of it and reported about it. The authors of the book write, "It is alleged that Nutan slapped Hari publicly during the shoot after she read the news about their affair in a magazine on the sets. It is believed that she did so upon the insistence of her husband."

In 1972, Nutan clarified her stand to journalist Uma Rao in the February 1972 issue of Stardust. The book even carries her quote in which she had claimed that she found out from a close associate that Sanjeev Kumar had spread the news about their relationship and that she was living with him, with eventual plans of marrying him. She said he had told people that he and Nutan are wondering if they could get custody of her child (actor Mohnish Bahl). She thundered that all this was "Utter rubbish! What did he think that I would ever leave my most wonderful husband for him? Sanjeev isn't even worth his toenail!"

The book then threw light on an article that had been published in the January 1975 issue of Stardust, also by Uma Rao. It mentioned that V Madhusudan Rao, the director of Devi wanted to mediate a truce between Sanjeev Kumar and Nutan after the slapgate. Rajnish Bahl was also a part of this meeting along with the actors. Sanjeev Kumar agreed to shoot if Nutan apologized for assaulting him. She declined. Rajnish, however, offered an apology. Sanjeev Kumar refused to accept it as he had not slapped him.

However, Sanjeev Kumar relented somehow and the film was completed.

Sanjeev Kumar, on his part, continued to claim that he had not spread stories about their love story. A chapter is narrated by eminent journalist Bharathi S Pradhan. She interviewed the actor and spoke about this incident. She writes, "He didn't hold back his punches and told me that he had her letters to him - she was going to walk out on her husband to marry him".

The slap gate incident was a huge blow to the actor. In an interview with Vijaya Irani for Star & Style in December 1979, Sanjeev Kumar said that he had received a proposal for marriage from a nice girl, who was not from the film industry. However, the actor turned it down as he was "too busy involved with a top star, who was married". He also said, "After the big slapping incident, I was neither here nor there. Today, the only regret I feel is not having accepted that girl's proposal".

In the same interview, he also talked about his mother and how he lied to her that Nutan had slapped him while doing a scene rehearsal. However, her mother found out the truth and "made her displeasure known".

Meanwhile, the authors reveal that Shammi Kapoor had thrown a party for Sanjeev Kumar "to make light of the slapping incident". They also claim, "If it were not for the slap, there might have been no records of this relationship at all".

Also Read: REVEALED: After Sanjeev Kumar’s demise, Boney Kapoor and Raj Kapoor had come forward to repay the money they owed the late actor; his sister-in-law says, “The list of debtors was MIND-BOGGLING; the sum was in crores! We still haven’t recovered that money”