New Delhi, Nov 24 (LatestNewsX)
A raw talent from Punjab met the national talent hunt and landed a spot in Hindi cinema. Dharmendra was thrilled when the first producer told him to wait for his signing money – he was brimming with the hope of a generous payout.
In reality, he only received a pocket‑change stipend, a mere dent in the producer’s budget. Nearly twenty years later, Dharmendra admitted that all he was able to collect was Rs 51.
The Bollywood icon, known as the “He‑Man,” initially signed on for “Shola Aur Shabnam” and then for T.M. Bihari’s “Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere.” Ironically, the latter—which starred Balraj Sahni and Kumkum and was directed by Arjun Hingorani—hit theatres first and became his official debut.
When Dharmendra arrived at the studio, Bihari and an associate named Thakkar asked him to wait outside a cabin while they discussed his contract. “I sat there, feeling optimistic, hoping they would hand me at least a 500‑rupee advance. Guess what I actually got?” he later recalled. “Twenty‑one rupees from Mr Bihari, then 30 rupees from Mr Thakkar, totaling exactly 51 rupees.” He detailed this story in an article titled Mera Bachpan Aur Jawaani, published in the Urdu film magazine Ruby in May 1977 and later translated in Yasir Abbasi’s Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai: Urdu Memoirs of Cinema Legends.
Dharmendra also expressed deep gratitude toward his first director, Arjun Hingorani, whose support was crucial during those early days. Hingorani, whose debut was India’s first Sindhi film Abana (1958) that introduced Sadhana Shivadasani—better known as Sadhana—a child artiste, provided the actor with a place to stay and meals because Dharmendra had nothing but that single Rs 51.
“Arjun saheb took me to a restaurant and told me I could eat there without paying, thanks to a credit arrangement he had. He instructed the manager, ‘Give this boy two slices of bread, butter—no jam—and a cup of tea every day. If he eats more, ask him to pay for the extra.’”
Their partnership grew far beyond that first film. Hingorani, famous for titling nearly all his movies with three words that start with the letter “K,” kept Dharmendra at the forefront. Titles such as Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? (1970), Kahani Kismat Ki (1973), Khel Khilari Ka (1977), Katilon Ke Kaatil (1981), Karishma Kudrat Ka (1985), Kaun Kare Kurbanie (1991), and Kaise Kahoon Ke… Pyaar Hai (2003) featured Dharmendra as the lead, while other prominent actors like Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, and Govinda appeared in supporting roles. Two of those films even credited Dharmendra’s elder son, Sunny Deol, as a co‑star.
(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
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