Veteran actor Dharmendra breathed his last on November 24, leaving the film industry and fans around the world in deep grief. One of his longtime co-stars, Rakesh Bedi, who last worked with him on Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, recently sat down for an exclusive chat with NDTV and shared some deeply touching memories from their long friendship.
Rakesh began by shedding light on Dharmendra's warmth and generosity on set. "All I can say, he was kind of mad - such actors don't exist now," he told NDTV.
The actor further added, "He used to care for everyone, he used to care for the unit. Aap unke saath 15 minutes baith jao, toh aapko lagega ki ye mera aadmi hai and woh mere bare mein sochta hai. (If you sit with him for just 15 minutes, you'll feel like he's your own person and that he genuinely cares about you.)That was the kind of love he showered upon people around him all the time."
Rakesh and Dharmendra worked together for decades. The actor who rose to fame with Chashme Buddoor recalled working with Dharmendra on several films including the 1987 hit Dadagiri. Rakesh said, "He and I have done many films . Ek bohot badi film hai unke sath, bohot hi hit thi.(There was a very big film with him, which was a huge hit.) Me and him were there in key roles. The name was Dadagiri. Since then, I have worked with him in many films. Our last film together was Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya."
Rakesh remembered a particularly sweet moment from the shoot. He said, "It was my birthday on one of the shooting dates of TBMAUJ. He insisted that 'cake main mangaunga' and then the crew said, 'Nahi sir, we will'. Then we cut it together. He fed me and I fed him. It was very sweet of him."
Looking back on their long association, he added, "Itne saalon se jante hai, ek love and respect hai. ("We shared so many years together - there was a bond of love and respect.")
For Rakesh, Dharmendra wasn't just an actor he worked with - he was a mentor, a friend, and a man whose warmth and kindness touched everyone including him.
