Are there any lesser-known Bollywood tragic love stories that are just as heart-wrenching as the popular ones?

 

Are there any lesser-known Bollywood tragic love stories that are just as heart-wrenching as the popular ones?

Sanjeev Kumar : This movie legend was known for his charm and superb acting.

He distinguished himself in art movies and commercial movies alike.

He had two serious affairs with two known actresses.

First refused to marry him because he asked her to quit acting.

She later became a second wife of a married actor with 4 children.

Second actress refused to married him because they belonged to different religions.

She later married a known film writer , father of two children.

Naturally, It turned Sanjeev Kumar skeptical of love and marriage.

His family had a history of congenital heart disease that made him self conscious.

Sulakshna Pandit : This beautiful singer -actress met Sanjeev Kumar during shooting of Uljhan (1975)

They worked in seven hindi movies and became close friends.

Sanjeev Kumar was well known for his simplicity; humility and wit.

She got impacted by his charm and fell in love with him.

On the other hand , Sanjeev Kumar treated her as a good actress; blessed with musical and acting talent.

Being madly in love ; she proposed to Sanjeev Kumar; who flatly refused her.

Heart break : Naturally , it broke her heart.

By divine will; Sanjeev Kumar became sick. He went through a major heart surgery in USA.

Alas, in 1985, he succumbed to a major heart attack at the age of 47.

Recluse : It turned Sulakshna Pandit into a recluse and for years ; she did not appear in public.

Like a proverbial saga; she never got married again.

Well : “Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.”:

Washington Irving

Pic Credits : Google Images / Web

Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt and her tragic end

On August 10th, 30 BC, at the age of 39, Cleopatra’s life came to a dramatic end. It has been 2,055 years since that fateful day, marking the final chapter for the Queen of world history.

Cleopatra was found in a stone chamber, lying on a gilded bed in her finest royal attire and crown. At her feet lay her most trusted maid, Iras, dead. Her other maid, Charmian, passed away shortly after, having witnessed her queen's final breath.

For 21 years, Cleopatra had ruled Egypt. She came to power at 18, forced into a partnership and marriage with her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII. This alliance quickly crumbled, leading to a bitter civil war.

While Egypt was in chaos, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar arrived. Cleopatra famously had herself smuggled in to meet him and, captivated by her intelligence and beauty, Caesar became her ally. With his help, she defeated and killed her brother in battle.

Cleopatra reclaimed her throne, ruling first with another brother, Ptolemy XIV, and later with her son by Caesar, Caesarion.

After Caesar's assassination, Cleopatra returned to Egypt. There, she met Mark Antony, one of Rome's new leaders, who fell for her just as Caesar had. Their love affair led to three children.

Enraged by their union, Octavian, another of Rome's leaders, declared war. In the inevitable battle, Cleopatra and Antony were utterly defeated.

The couple fled and, in a desperate act, Cleopatra sent a false message that she was dead. Believing her, Antony took his own life, only to learn the truth as he lay dying. He was brought to her chamber, where he died in her arms.

Octavian captured her, but she refused to be paraded as a Roman captive. While imprisoned in her own chamber, she chose to die by using the venom of a cobra. When Octavian's soldiers arrived to take her, they found her and her two loyal maids dead.

In a final act of revenge, Octavian ordered the death of her son, Caesarion. With Cleopatra's death, Egypt’s independent kingdom was absorbed into the Roman Empire.

Ultimately, she did not die as a captive. Wearing her crown and royal jewels, she chose her own end, ensuring her legacy as a queen who defied her Roman captors until the very last moment.