Sanjeev Kumar is known for his powerful performances in films. Having played the leading role in many romantic movies, the actor’s real life, however, was devoid of successful love.

One of his most talked about affairs was with Hema Malini and they were almost set to get married, but Sanjeev’s conservative thoughts pulled it down. Their love story is detailed in the book An Actor’s Actor by Hanif Zaveri and Sumant Batra. It is believed that their romance bloomed while they were working on the film Seeta Aur Geeta (1972). They were shooting for the song, ‘Hawa Ke Saath Saath’ and had to skate on the road. During the filming, the two met with an accident while shooting on a trolley. They were almost saved but the incident brought them closer.

Things escalated and their families met each other soon. Their cultural differences didn’t come in way of the discussions. However, Sanjeev and his mother didn’t want Hema to continue working in films after marriage. Hema was against this. She felt that Sanjeev would have a change of mind, but that was not to be the case. Eventually, the two had to part ways.

Talking about it later in an interview with Junior G magazine, Hema said, said, "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."

Hema married Dharmendra in 1980, while Sanjeev stayed single till his death in 1985. He was just 47.