He is known as Bollywood’s ‘Yamla, Pagla, Deewana’ (Lovable, Crazy and Mad), but for a long he was also seen as the macho hero of silver screen.
Veteran actor Dharmendra says that he’s completed over five decades in the movie business but it went by in mere moments. “Ek lamba safar lamhun mein guzar gaya [A long journey passed by in moments]. I now think why it went by so soon. I miss my colleagues, the atmosphere. I miss so many things. It was a beautiful journey,” said Dharmendra.
The 81-year-old, who traces his roots to Punjab, debuted in Bollywood in 1960 with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere, going on to create an image of Bollywood’s He-Man, after Dara Singh.
Dharmendra and wife Hema Malini with daughters Ahana and Esha Deol.
Dharmendra has entertained audiences with movies of all genres — from the intense Bandini and Satyakam, to potboilers such as Raja Jani and Pratigya, and as a comic artist with perfect timing in Sholay and Chupke Chupke.
He proved his skills as an actor with Anupama and Yakeen. In recent times, he was seen in Life In A... Metro, Apne and Yamla, Pagla, Deewana.
Dharmendra is known for his simplicity, humbleness and staying connected to his roots. The actor says he doesn’t believe in being a “superstar but a super-human being”.
He has infused these qualities in his sons — actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol — and says that they are taking it forward by teaching the same to the next generation. “Fame and glamour don’t remain. Being humble and grounded is what will remain. People will say nice things about you. It is not a thought-out action and comes automatically. It came to me from my parents, from me it has gone to Sunny and Bobby,” he says. “Stressing on your achievements or other things hold no meaning.”
Dharmendra has worked with his wife and Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’ Hema Malini in films such as Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Dream Girl. Post marriage, the couple was seen in movies like Alibaba aur 40 Chor, Baghavat, Samraat and Razia Sultan.
Dharmendra with sons Sunny and Bobby Deol and nephew Abhay Deol.
He is averse to the idea of a biopic on his life, but turns to Urdu poetry to reflect on his journey and life. The 81-year-old said: “I’m an emotional person, so this [poetry] is a good outlet for me. Jab kuch kaha na jae, jab kuch suna na jae, tab meri tanhai meri khamoshi se, aur khamoshi meri tanhai se baatein kar leti hai [When nothing can be said or heard, my silence and my loneliness converse with each other].”
The actor, who is looking forward to his grandson Karan Deol’s Bollywood debut with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, is content with the love and admiration he gets from his fans. “What’s the benefit of writing a book on your life? I don’t want to reach out that much to people. I have reached enough. I have touched their hearts. I live in their hearts, not in their brains,” he said.
Asked who can be the next Bollywood’s Yamla, Pagla, Deewana, he said, “Only Dharmendra can be yamla, pagala and deewana at the same time.”
On the work front, he is working on his first international short film, Dream Catcher, and will reunite with his sons for the third instalment of Yamla Pagla Deewana film franchise. The actor has never starred with his daughter Esha Deol (from his marriage with Malini) in a film.
Five of Dharmendra’s most iconic roles
1. Satyakam (1969)
Considered Dharmendra’s finest performance till date, the post-Second World War story sees an idealistic Satyapriya embark on a journey to rid the world of corruption and greed. However, life has something else in store for him when one wrong decision sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events for Satyapriya and Ranjana (Sharmila Tagore), who is raped and left pregnant by her abuser. In a bid to make amends, Satyapriya marries Ranjana, but the idealist is unable to keep his own biases at bay. His struggle continues until, stricken with cancer, Satyapriya finally sees the ultimate truth. Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Dharmendra’s death scene in the film can still evoke tears, coupled with that soul-stirring speech, The movie also won India’s National Film Award For best feature film in Hindi.
2. Anupama (1966)
Dharmendra plays Ashok, a sensitive writer and teacher who falls in love with the shy, introverted Uma (Sharmila Tagore), who is ridden with childhood emotional scars inflicted on her by her abusive father. Dharmendra excels in this film with a constrained, intellectual performance as he slowly draws Uma out of her shell and forces her to face her father.
3. Sholay (1975)
The list of Dharmendra’s most iconic roles is incomplete without his pathbreaking role of the fun-loving Veeru in Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay. The film went on to break all sorts of records and went down as the finest film to ever come out of Hindi cinema. While purists may debate over this, the urban gangster flair that Dharmendra brought to Veeru’s character sparked many a copycats in reel and real-life. But none could match Dharmendra’s impish charm.
4. Chupke Chupke (1975)
This really was the year for Dharmendra to showcase his flair for comedy on-screen. Be it playing the lovable drunkard Veeru in Sholay or the innocently conniving Professor Parimal Tripathi, who embarks on a game of one-upmanship when he gets jealous of his wife, Sulekha Chaturvedi (Sharmila Tagore), incessantly praising her brother-in-law.
5. Phool Aur Patthar (1966)
Dharmendra debuted in Bollywood with the movie Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere in 1960, but it was this O.P Rahlan film that finally gave him the foothold in the film industry as an actor to watch out for. The actor plays a negative character in the film’s first half as Shaka, a small-time crook who changes his wayward ways for Shanti (Meena Kumari). Dharmendra’s angry young man persona made him a well-rounded ‘He-man’ of Indian cinema. -Bindu Rai
Did you know...
Despite being nominated several times across various categories at the Filmfare Awards, Dharmendra was always denied this elusive honour. In 1997, he was finally bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Filmfare, and during his acceptance speech, Dharmendra said: “I’ve longed for this Filmfare trophy for 37 years... but it always evaded me. Every year, I’d stitch a new suit and buy a matching tie in the hope that I’d be called to receive a trophy... then after a few years I gave up.”
