Mumbai: Bollywood legend Dharmendra’s demise at the age of 89 has left a void in the film industry.
As the industry continues to mourn the legend, filmmaker-producer Anil Sharma recalled an incident during the shooting of ‘Apne’, when Dharmendra outran a train on a cycle at the age of 71, leaving fans in awe.
“He was very happy during the ‘Apne’ shoot. He used to cry and get emotionally choked whenever he’d listen to the story or watch the film later,” the filmmaker recalled.
Describing the sequence that remains unforgettable for him, he added, “I remember a shot in Apne. Dharmendra was on a cycle, racing with a running train. About 10,000-15,000 people just showed up on set and they began cheering, ‘Dharmendra! Dharmendra!’”
Sharing that the crowd’s energy sparked something in the actor, the filmmaker said, “Dharam ji got so pumped up that he overtook the train on his cycle, even on the rocky path next to the railway tracks.”
‘Apne’ was more than a film for Dharmendra as it also starred his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol.
The filmmaker said the veteran actor wanted the story to carry heart more than action.
“I didn’t want an action film with all three of them together. There can be action, but there should be a basic emotion in the story too. So, it took a year or a year and a half in writing the story, but it worked out,” he said.
Revealing his favourite emotional moment from the film, Anil said, “It’s empty, and there’s silence. Then he talks to the signs of his son’s blood on the mat. Wow, what a scene! Dharam ji is extraordinary when it comes to emotion. People say his action and comedy are great, but I say Dharam ji is the best in everything, but his emotion really touches you. It feels very real. And he never puts glycerine. None of the three Deols do that. Tears just flow out of their eyes.”
