The Original Heroes of Bollywood: Dharmendra

Dharmendra was more than just a hunk with great looks.

For three long decades (60s to 80s) he was the symbol of brawny masculinity in Bollywood. The man could easily manhandle the onscreen rowdies and villains and could also romance with beautiful damsels with grace and élan. No wonder that he is often referred to as the ‘Garam’ Dharam (hot Dharam). He had the looks which were appropriately blended with “he-man-ship” to deliver some stunning performances which helped him win a million hearts.

The Beginning

Dharmendra was fascinated with movies from his early days. He won the Filmfare new talent award and came to Mumbai from Punjab looking for work. After a screen test, a screen director told him that he should rather play than act his films but Dharmendra was never destined to do this. But producer Arjun Hingorani had faith in Dharmendra and signed him for Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere(1960) for a paltry sum of Rs 51 and a daily breakfast of tea and toast at a local restaurant. He then worked in several romantic black and white films in the early 1960s, hitting solo hero stardom withPhool Aur Patthar (1966).

(Image credit: chakpak.com)

Rise to Stardom

By the late 60s, Dharmendra was a busy star. He was slowly but steadily climbing the ladder of success. He had several movies in the pipeline and did quite a few of them with legendary Meena Kumari who is said to have developed a romantic interest for him. At around the same time,Hrishikesh Mukherjee decided to present the sensitive side of Dharmendra's personality to the audience. In Anupama (1966), Dharmendra essayed the role of the poor but self-respecting writer who inspires the repressed Anupama (Sharmila Tagore) to assert herself.

Riding high on the wave of success, Dharmendra decided to produce a sensitive film like Satyakam (1969) with Hrishikesh Mukherjee at the helm. He played a straight-backed man who lived and died for truth. By the beginning of 70s, Rajesh Khanna had arrived on the stage and he was a pure entertainer. It is said that this forced Dharmendra to go for entertainers like the revenge dramaJeevan Mrityu (1970) and the dacoit saga Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) and presented a strong challenge to Rajesh Khanna.

Moreover, by now he had also had a breath of fresh air arrive in his life: Hema Malini. Off-screen, the bond between the two was strengthening, and of course they created magic on the screen. The Dharam-Hema pair resulted in seven straight successes -- Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana, Raja Rani, Seeta Aur Geeta, Jugnu and Dost. Rumours of their off-screen love affair fuelled their on-screen draw. Their enchantment quotient touched its zenith when Sholay happened.

Dharmendra in a still from the 1969 hit 'Satyakam' (image credit:  ilovelovelovedharmendra.blogspot.com)

In the late 1970s, Dharmendra reduced his workload considerably. But hits like Dharam Veer kept the star sheen alive. He even went on to deliver surprise hits like Hukumat by as late as 1987.

The X-Factor

Dharmendra was a perfect blend of Greek God looks and sheer, raw machismo. Add to this, his raw humour and amazing sensitivity in portraying romantic roles. Saira Banu thought he had Italian good looks. Govinda and his wife wanted their child to be as eye-pleasing as him. Bollywood still yearns for an actor like him.

Dharmendra with sons Sunny and Bobby and nephew Abhay Deol (image credit: chakpak.com)

The Calling

Back in the 1960s, Dharmendra got a job at an Americal drilling company but soon got bored of it. It was Bollywood which used to leave the young Dharmendra awestruck. He would travel miles from his village in Phagwara, Punjab, to frequent the cinema that was showing a Suraiya film. He travelled to Mumbai is his quest to hit the luck in movies. After intial hiccups, producer Arjun Hingorani noticed him and realised that the man had some real potential to make it big.

Did You Know?

1. For his debut film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), he was offered a paltry sum of Rs 51 and a daily breakfast of tea and toast at a local restaurant.

2. In 1979 he converted to Islam, changed his name to Dilawar Khan, got married to actress Hema Malini, as his first wife, Prakash Kaur, refused to divorce him. In accordance with the Hindu Marriage Act it is illegal for a Hindu to get re-married when his first wife is still alive.

3. In 1983, his son Sunny debuted with the movie Betaab. Dharmendra, too, struck gold as a hero in Nauker Biwi Ka. It was a rare occasion of father and son scoring hits in the same year while playing lead roles.

4. Dharmendra has gone on record saying he does not believe that the Mumbai film industry is a place suitable for girls. He was unperturbed by his sons Sunny and Bobby joining the industry, but was vocal about his displeasure regarding his daughter Esha's choice of profession.

The male starcast of 'Sholay': Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar and

Amjad Khan (image credit: thefullwiki.org)

Dharmendra Now

Dharmendra has been quite active in politics. He was elected as an MP to Lok Sabha from BJP’s ticket but has invited criticism for his frequent absence in the parliament. After a few years of hiatus from acting since the early 2000s, he is reappearing in films as a character actor. His 2007 films Life in a Metro and Apne were both successful at the box office. Dharmendra still continues to make appearances in movies every once in a while. His latest film Yamla Pagla Deewana in which he co-starred with his sons Sunny and Bobby was released on January 14, 2011 to moderate success.

When one thinks of Dharmendra Deol, one automatically envisions a romantic star as well as a he-man - a trait that is not quite common in Bollywood heroes. His trademark styles of dialogue delivery (remember, “Basanti!! In kutto ke saamne mat naachna” and “Kutte main tera khoon pee jaunga?”) used to leave the audience spell bounded. His sons, especially Bobby, have failed to reproduce his aura and this proves that there has only been one he-man in the industry: Dharmendra Singh Deol. Best wishes from MensXP!!

image credit: e24bollywood.com