Legendary actor Dharmendra died on Monday at his Mumbai home, shortly after being discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on November 12. He was 89. The actor had been admitted to the hospital on October 31.
Following his death, several old clips of the film veteran talking about his films, career, and association with directors started resurfacing online. In one of those throwback gems, Dharmendra spoke about how he didn't let Anand director Hrishikesh Mukherjee sleep after he lost the role to Rajesh Khanna.
In the old clip, Dharmendra is seen narrating the night when he kept calling Hrishikesh Mukherjee after having drinks.
Dharmendra recalled, “Hrishida kya hai, unhone mujhe ek kahani sunai thi. Flight mein Bengal se aate-aate. Woh story thi Anand ki. 'Dharam yeh karenge, woh karenge'... Phir pata chala ki woh film shuru ho gayi Rajesh (Khanna) ke saath. Phir main toh tikata hoon na, maine phone kiya (Hrishida has told me a story on a flight while he was coming back from Bengal. It was the story of Anand. Then I came to know the film went on the floors with Rajesh Khanna. I used to have drinks na, I called him at night)"
Dharmendra then showed (by hand gestures) how he dialled the landline repeatedly to call Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Switching to Punjabi, he said, “Mainu role de, yeh kahani mainu sunai si. Kithe gayi role? Mera picture unhone kyon de ditta (Please give me the role back. You have told me the story. Why have you given the role to him?)” On the other hand, Hrishikesh Mukherjee kept telling him, “So jaa, Dharam. So jaa (Please go to sleep Dharam).” And thus, the night passed.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Dharmendra's Filmography
Before being tagged as the “He-Man” of the industry, Dharmendra portrayed the role of the earnest common man on screen with perfection — thanks in large part to Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Their collaboration began with Anupama (1966), in which he was paired opposite Sharmila Tagore.
They went on to collaborate on films such as Majhli Didi (1967), Satyakam (1969), Guddi (1971), and the multi-starrer Chupke Chupke (1975). Dharmendra also acted in Mukherjee's Chaitali (1975).
About Anand
The 1971 film, steeped in the emotions and pathos of human fragility, starred Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna in the lead roles. The dialogues were written by Gulzar. Anand won several accolades, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film in 1972.
Dharmendra Died At 89
On Monday, tensions were high as security was beefed up outside Dharmendra's house. An ambulance was seen entering the premises, triggering speculation about the actor's health. Several Bollywood celebrities — including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, and Deepika Padukone — attended the legendary actor's last rites at Pawan Hans Crematorium.
Dharmendra, one of the most celebrated matinee idols of Indian cinema, will be seen on screen one last time in Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis. He plays the father of Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan, in the film.
