Sanjeev Kumar's Surprise Gift Helped Launch Anil Kapoor's Bollywood Career

In October 2025, it has been over 40 years since Anil Kapoor made his Bollywood debut with the film 'Woh Saat Din', produced by his brother Boney Kapoor. However, the story behind the making of this iconic film has only recently come to light.

Back in the early 1980s, both Anil and Boney were just starting out in their respective careers - Anil as an actor and Boney as a producer. Boney had previously produced only one film, 'Hum Paanch', before setting his sights on 'Woh Saat Din', which was a remake of the Tamil film 'Andha 7 Naatkal'.

Boney faced several hurdles while trying to acquire the remake rights for 'Woh Saat Din'. He recalled that he had to travel to Chennai for nearly a month, as every major actor and producer was vying for the rights. Just days before the release of the original Tamil film, the producer was short of ₹1,25,000 to repay a financier. Boney did not have that kind of money at the time, and was about to lose the opportunity.

However, an unexpected twist of fate awaited Boney. On a film set, two legendary actors, Shabana Azmi and Sanjeev Kumar, noticed his distress. Shabana offered Boney ₹25,000 to help, and Sanjeev Kumar secretly gave him the entire ₹1,25,000 needed to secure the remake rights. Deeply moved by their generosity, Boney was able to buy the rights and make 'Woh Saat Din', which went on to mark Anil Kapoor's memorable entry into Bollywood.