He has enjoyed more than five decades in the top flight of showbiz. Yet, he’s retained an unheard of simplicity. It’s as if Dharmendra is still a Punjabi lad, shy, soft spoken and amicable. You’d never imagine he was the hit machine that churned out hits in the ’70s and the ’80s like they were live tweets. You’d never guess he is the original action movie icon of Hindi cinema. Someone who will be remembered as the Indian superstar who gave Greek gods a run for their money. To top that he’s known for his penchant for Urdu poetry. What’s more he even pens it.
Even legends have bad days. On one such day, B-town’s original He-Man Dharmendra had an accident. He reveals, “I was stepping in my vanity van when I missed a step and fell down. I dislocated my shoulder, but I am fit now. Sometime back my haemoglobin had gone down. It came down to 6 when it should have been 13. At home everyone was worried. I had become weak.” Dharamji is a positive soul and naturally he sees the good side to bad health too. “Thanks to every one’s good wishes, my life span has increased. Now I am taking care of my diet so that my health remains good.” At 79 he’s fit as a fiddle and the secret he says was his upbringing in the robust environs of Punjab. “I am the son of a farmer. I was a hard working boy. We used to play Kabadi and hockey. Hum kheton mei kaam karte the. Today’s heroes work hard in the gym to earn their six packs; we used to go to the akhada. The food used to be wholesome and nutritious in the village. We have grown up on pure ghee, milk and curds. Even today I take care of my health. That’s why I am so fit at this age.”
He believes that showbiz has changed, “Today the new generation has picked up a casual living style. They enjoy realistic films based on everyday life. The audience has started to accept both achhai aur buraai. Their thinking has changed. They have started enjoying a variety of subjects. Earlier it was not so. Our films have become better technically. The new generation enjoys it but I find all this artificial.”
He expresses his displeasure towards film marketing and promotions. He says, “Today everything depends on marketing. Promoting a film has become essential. My home production Apne was a good film. I don’t think any sports film was better than that. Shah Rukh Khan told me Apne didn’t do too well because we didn’t promote it. I cannot do these promotional exercises. I hate praising myself and never like boasting about my work. Today this has become the norm though.” He also has reservations about contemporary stars. “Today anyone can become a hero. Ever one is for sale.” He recites a sher to express the irony, “Mere liye ab bhi woh mehbooba hai, lekin kya kare logon ne isse dhandha bana diya hai.”
Veterans take to nostalgia like fish to water. Dharamji is no exception. He recalls the glory days with a glint in his eyes. “I remember when Anupama released in 1966. It was about a mother dying during childbirth and the father blaming his daughter for it. It was a true to life film. In Devar I send my friend to see a girl for me. Naya Zamana directed by Pramod Chakravarti was a remake of Bimal Roy’s Hamrahi. Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Sharafat... I did all type of roles.”
Hrishikesh Mukherji’s Satyakam (1969) in which he was paired with Sharmila Tagore remains his most acclaimed film to date. He says, "It highlighted the difficulties faced by a man who has an idealistic approach towards life. Those themes are still relevant today. I’d love to play Satyapriya Acharya again if the film is remade.” Some of his best works came with Hrishida and he remembers the filmmaker fondly. “Hrishida did not do much in his films. He chose a good story and wrote good dialogue. We just walked in front of the camera and people would say ‘what a performance!’ The real magic was Hrishida’s writing and preparation. Today, things are different. We
don’t have these sort of directors. They are the true legends. I miss that period.”
He’s still remembered for the joie de vivre he showcased in the song Main jat yamla pagla deewana from Pratigya (1975). He recalls, “I had to dance on Main jat yamla pagla. I told the director bluntly, I don’t understand the meaning of dance. I suggested I’ll catch the rhythm. The choreographer taught me a few steps. I asked if I could introduce one particular step. I did my own thing and the dance became famous.” He has special memories of yesteryear stars and his contemporaries. “Most of my close friends are no more. I remember Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Mehmood, Johny Walker... When I go through old photographs, dormant memories come alive. Dilip Kumar saab is my heartthrob. I am a diehard fan of Dilip saab. I always dreamt of meeting him. I got the opportunity during the Filmfare talent contest. Saeeda Khan, Dilip saab’s sister, was handling my make-up. I requested her to introduce me to her brother. That is how I met my idol. He made me sit next to him and have lunch. He was so affectionate. I can never forget that. It’s as if it happened yesterday.”
He misses the friendly warmth of the past and rues that the world has become all about business.“We used to sit with our dada-dadi, uncles, aunts and listen to stories, meet friends, enjoy conversations. There was an emotional attachment. We used to visit neighbours, eat there and relax. Today that affection is missing.”
He reveals he’s trying his hand at writing his memoirs. “I am writing my autobiography. I write a few notes and keep it aside. I am lazy.” He has an interesting insight on who he thinks would do justice to a film based on his life. “Salman Khan will be the only and best choice to play me in a biopic.”
He goes on to share details of his leisure. “A Jat loves the land. I have a farm in Lonavala. There we grow organic food. There are bullocks too. Sometimes I go hiking.” And of course, there’s also poetry. He signs off in characteristic fashion reciting a couplet on lost love. “Mohabbat ka mujhse kyun yeh masoom gunah ho gaya... Mohabbat hai khuda aur khuda hai mohabbat, mujhse khafa kyon mera khuda ho gaya.”